Press release – 27 February
A woman from Bournemouth is preparing to take on the Brighton Marathon for the international disaster relief charity, ShelterBox.
Shannon Peall, 26, was inspired to run for ShelterBox because of its work around the world – often supporting people affected by disasters or conflicts that get little media attention or awareness.
She says: “I have avoided the news over the last six years because it tends to leave me feeling helpless. Some stories get exaggerated while disasters and people in need can go overlooked.
“Following ShelterBox has been a real eye opener to what’s going on around the world and rather than sit back I am doing something to support their work and the people they provide emergency shelter to.”
The southwest based charity relies entirely on public donations to fund its work and currently has 12 active responses across the world. It supports people left with nowhere to live because of extreme weather, conflict, and events like earthquakes.
Last year, the charity responded to devastating earthquakes affecting Morocco, Türkiye, and Syria, and this year continues to support people affected by conflicts in Ukraine, Yemen, and Burkina Faso.
Shannon, who works at a physio health clinic during the week alongside freelance work supporting small businesses, is aiming to raise £600 for ShelterBox by running the marathon and is training hard.
Shannon says: “Training is going well! I’m following quite an intense eight-week training program now as we are super close to race day! So that’s a switch up from my usual ‘as and when’ stance on running, but it’s good and I love the routine.
“Running is an amazing escape for me in a rather busy day to day life and once I set off on a long-distance run, I can just completely switch off and embrace the journey.
“The British weather is definitely a challenge. I started the year in the Algarve down in the south coast of Portugal, so my running was bare foot on long wide stretches of palm-lined beach. So, wrapping up in a hat and gloves and preparing to be slapped by the wind was a shock when I got home, but actually the more dramatic the weather the better for me! I love a storm and just getting amongst it.”
Community Fundraising Officer at ShelterBox, Louisa Arnold says: “Our supporters like Shannon are so wonderfully generous with their time. Not only is Shannon taking on the 26.2-mile route but putting in hours of training in all weathers to raise crucial funds for our work around the world.
“We are really excited for Shannon and her challenge, and very grateful for her support. Quite simply, we cannot support people in need of shelter after disaster or conflict without the amazing efforts of fundraisers and supporters like Shannon.”
Shannon likes to run, climb, surf, swim, hike, or do yoga in her spare time and is being well supported by those around her.
She adds: “I’m so excited to do the marathon in support of ShelterBox! I’m super excited for the challenge but nervous. I’ve never trained so hard for something so huge, so I’m definitely out of my comfort zone!
I’ve never done anything like this! And I’m lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing friends and family who support me in everything I do, even the mad stuff.”
Since it was founded in 2000, ShelterBox has supported over 2.5 million people across around 100 countries with different combinations of emergency shelter, support, and essential household items.
The charity has recently announced it is responding in Gaza and launched an urgent fundraising appeal to help fund its responses around the world. Working alongside Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), the charity is set to support thousands of displaced people with emergency shelter aid to help people survive wet and cold weather, and items like blankets, mattresses, and kitchen sets.
To find out more about fundraising for ShelterBox and how to get involved, visit: https://shelterbox.org/fundraise
The Brighton Marathon takes place on 7 April and ShelterBox has one charity place still waiting to be snapped up. Anyone interested can contacting the charity’s fundraising team via [email protected] or call 0300 0300 500.
ENDS
For more information contact the press office at ShelterBox via [email protected].
Notes to Editors
- Images and captions included. More available on request.
- Interviews available with Shannon Peall.
About ShelterBox
ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and other essential items to families who have lost their homes to disasters. With operational headquarters in Cornwall, the charity also has 13 affiliate organisations worldwide. The charity has been Rotary International’s project partner in disaster relief since 2012. ShelterBox has supported more than 2.5 million people since it was founded in 2000. www.shelterbox.org
