Macclesfield: Arighi Bianchi hoping to raise £10,000 for local charity
Macclesfield family-owned furniture business Arighi Bianchi, have teamed up with a local charity to take on the Great Manchester 10k run.
And 10,000 is the magic number, as they hope to raise an incredible £10,000 for Macclesfield's East Cheshire Hospice.
The Hospice, which is situated on Millbank Drive, provides a free service to those suffering from terminal illnesses.
However, only a small amount of their funding comes from the government therefore they rely on donations from the surrounding communities.
Arighi Bianchi's Lucy Mather and her colleague David Druce - who are both managers in departments at the 169-year-old company, are amongst 30 of those from the Arighi Bianchi team taking part.
Lucy's family have run Arighi Bianchi since it was founded in 1854, and have been massively supportive of East Cheshire Hospice since the charity began in 1988.
"Arighi Bianchi have done the run in the past, I think the last time was 2015 but we thought we would do it again this year as East Cheshire Hospice had reached out to us," said Lucy, who is Head of Communications at Arighi Bianchi.
"We've supported the Hospice since they opened their doors so they've always been our charity. They don't really get any support so they rely on donations - it's us doing our bit for them and it's good team bonding.
"We have a mix of everyone really from reception, marketing, shop floor and Nick [Bianchi, Director of Arighi Bianchi] are joining. In total there should be a team of 30 us."
The run will be taking place on May 21 with a scenic 10k route through Manchester city center.
Fortunately, the Arighi Bianchi team won't be alone as celebrities Samia Longchambon and partner Sylvain Longchambon,who are ambassadors of the East Cheshire Hospice, Will also be joining them in support.
Although some of the staff at Arighi Bianchi have done the Great Manchester 10k previously, for others - like Lucy - this will be their first challenging run.
"The store manager is doing it who has done it before so she's been dragging out David for training but neither of us run," added Lucy who has led the comms department for over two years.
"It definitely gets easier though. At first I'd look at my watch and it had only been a minute whereas I can run a lot longer now."
The company chose to run in aid of East Cheshire Hospice after they reached out as they are a local charity just down the road from the store, and as members from the team all know someone who has used their services.
As they are a long-established family owned business that has an attachment to the town, Arighi Bianchi prides itself on being involved with charities in the community.
So far, they have raised an increasing £1,150 for the hospice all from various supporters and suppliers. You can still donate on this link.
"We set on a 10k target as it works out to about £300 per runner," Lucy also said.
"We have been lucky to get added support from suppliers. One bed supplier donated us a mattress, that we can sell for which the profits can then be donated to the grand total.
David Druce, who is Head of Health and Safety added "It feels quite a privilege to work for somewhere that is a family run business and has the ability to do things for the community."
"To those who have donated, a massive thank you as every bit is appreciated for a well worth cause."
East Cheshire Hospice's Marketing Manager Luke Brightmore added: "The Hospice could not remain open without the backing of its local communities and businesses, so it's wonderful to have the support of the team at Arighi Bianchi who are taking on this challenge with such enthusiasm.
"Like so many in the area, many staff at Arighi's have a personal story connected to the Hospice, so it's incredibly powerful to see their individual motivations and reasons for running.
Macclesfield: You can donate to Arighi's fundraiser for East Cheshire Hospice here.
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