Runners rally for Chestnut Tree House at the Littlehampton 10K

Runners were in high spirits at the Littlehampton 10k on Sunday 31 August, with over 100 people stepping up to the starting line to raise funds for Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice, near Arundel. 

Despite unpredictable weather, including sudden downpours and gusty winds, Jack Northeast, a staff member at Chestnut Tree House was thrilled to cross the finish line, saying: 

 “It was so amazing having all of us there supporting each other and doing it together” 

The fundraising total is currently over £11k, a phenomenal amount of money that will help Chestnut Tree House provide essential hospice care to children across Sussex and South East Hampshire. 

These types of charitable events are vital because it costs the hospice almost £6 million a year to provide local families with the specialist care they need, with only 21% of this coming from government funding.    

The strong turnout for this year’s Littlehampton 10K highlights how deeply Chestnut Tree House is valued by the local community. Among the 117 runners were 13 dedicated hospice staff members, who formed their own running team to show their personal support for the charity’s vital work. There are some fantastic photos of all the runners available on the Littlehampton 10k website.

Beth Frame is a Nursing Associate at Chestnut Tree House who completed the race and said: “We all finished and raised money for what we know is a great cause!” 

Community spirit was front and centre in Littlehampton, with supporters lining the route to cheer on the runners. The event’s heart warming atmosphere was made even more special by the presence of families supported by Chestnut Tree House, including children and young people currently receiving care. 

Two of the loudest cheer squads belonged to the hospice, with one particularly enthusiastic group made up of siblings Lily, Logun, and Faith, who is currently being cared for by Chestnut Tree House. Their mother, Vicki, was delighted they could attend, saying: “The children were so proud watching everyone complete the 10k on Sunday but especially seeing lots of their favourite staff from Chestnut Tree House running.” 

She added: “We were honoured to be invited to help cheer the team over the line. It was even better when everyone had finished, and we danced around celebrating the amazing team effort. It has inspired my children to begin training so hopefully they can run next year.” 

The event was kindly hosted by Runfest and Race Director, Tom Redford was pleased with how the day unfolded saying: “We’re especially proud to have raised so much for Chestnut Tree House, a cause that means so much locally.” 

If you feel inspired and want to take part in an event and fundraise, please visit our Events page