This New Year SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, is urging the people of Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Greater Birmingham to put down those leftovers and sign up to its first ever team race at the challenging Soldier 30:30 Midlands event in February in Uttoxeter.
At Soldier 30:30, teams of four will navigate the countryside running either 30 miles or 30 kilometres, with a gruelling 30lbs on their backs! SSAFA is looking for a further ten teams of four people to sign up by 5pm on Tuesday 31 January 2017. The challenge is not to be sniffed at and what better excuse is there to hit the treadmill or get out into the countryside and start training to shed those excess Christmas lbs.
Anyone can sign up – you don’t have to be in the military or ex-military to take part. The teams of four could be made up of families, friend groups, work colleagues or schools. Teams are divided into 3 classes – ‘Wounded’ (for teams with a wounded team member), ‘Insider’ (for teams with local knowledge of the area) and ‘Open’ (for teams not in wounded or insider). Teams can be all male, all female or mixed, but a decent level of fitness is advised.
SSAFA is the oldest national military charity in the UK, supporting some 60,000 people in the Armed Forces community each year – this is anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force, and their families. Money raised will help SSAFA support those most in need from within the Armed Forces community.
- Event date: 25 February 2017.
- Deadline: sign ups must be made by 5pm on Tuesday 31 January 2017.
- Distance: either 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) or 30 miles (48.3 kilometres).
- Ability: all participants need to be in good physical fitness and confident with navigating the countryside.
- Location: Denstone College near Uttoxeter.
- Sponsorship target: each team of four people is required to raise £1,000 to help SSAFA’s work in supporting anyone who has ever served or is still serving in the RAF, Royal Navy and British Army, and their families.
- To sign up or find out more: email SSAFA at teamssafa@ssafa.org.uk or call 020 7463 9310.
SSAFA Fundraising Director, Tegan Jones, says: “Soldier 30:30 is definitely one of the most challenging events we have on our SSAFA roster, with teams going head to head, racing across the Staffordshire countryside with a hefty weight on their backs. By signing up to run Soldier 30:30 for SSAFA, you are showing your support for the Armed Forces community and will be raising vital funds to help them in their hour of need. We hope to raise £25,000 from this event. Our Armed Forces have had our backs and now it’s our turn to have theirs, so join our team today and get training!”
ENDS
Notes for editors –
- SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity (formerly known as the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen & Families Association), provides lifelong support to anyone who is currently serving or has ever served in the Royal Navy, British Army or Royal Air Force including reservists, and their families.
- Each year, our professional staff and network of more than 6,500 volunteers help some 60,000 people, ranging from World War Two veterans to the families of young servicemen and women wounded or killed in Afghanistan.
For more information visit www.ssafa.org.uk and follow us on Twitter: @SSAFA
