Marie Curie and The National Autistic Society have been the focus of our charity endeavours recently.

In April, project assistant Rita Williams-Hall ran the 2017 Virgin Money London Marathon after deferring her 2016 place due to injury. Her chosen charity was The National Autistic Society, a cause close to her heart, and she raised over £2,000. She says “Autistic people can face huge difficulties but it is about raising awareness and making adjustments so people with autism are able to participate in everyday life as much as they can.”

Rita made national headlines after she encountered exhaustion during the race and finished with just six minutes to spare, prompting a mystery spectator to donate £800.

Mark Lever, Chief Executive of The National Autistic Society, said: “Running a marathon is an incredible achievement, and we are in awe of Rita’s determination and dedication to raise money for our charity.”

On 10th June, construction company Anderson Group organised their fourth 55 mile cycle around Chelmsford, Essex, also in aid of The National Autistic Society. Churchill Hui funded a dedicated team - Andrew Belsey, Kevin Crook and Geoff Mules - to join Anderson’s cyclists for the first time. They had a fantastic day in the sun, winning the quiz and getting a little lost en route pushing the total mileage up to 60! Andrew Nowosad, Anderson Group, says they hope to exceed the £45,000 raised last year by 170 cyclists. Commiserations to Churchill Hui’s Andrew Moss who was unable to cycle on the day due to injury.

On the same weekend as the bike ride, Churchill Hui sent a team of “Italian Stallions” in a souped-up, clapped-out 23-year old Audi across Europe for Marie Curie. The three day bender, loosely organised by Crumball Rally, started in France on 9 June and took in perilous routes around Switzerland and Italy, returning to Nice on 11 June. Inspired by the 1969 caper film The Italian Job, this was no joyride for Neil, Gus and Richard and several pit stops were made before they even crossed the Channel! The ‘vintage’ motor belonged to retired partner Geoff Mules in the nineties, and had only just scraped through its MOT ahead of journey. Fortunately they returned in one piece, in the Audi, after the 700 mile escapade!

Also in aid of Marie Curie was the fabulous Housebuilder Brain Game in May, where Churchill Hui sponsored a quiz round, mingled with celebs and helped raise £270,000 for the charity.

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