Runner sought to help disabled islander complete internship

Sunday 07 June 2020

A charity dedicated to helping islanders with disabilities find employment is seeking a runner to take part in the London Marathon and raise £2,600 to help one of their clients complete a three-month internship.

The Jersey Employment Trust is one of just 500 charities in the UK to be selected at random through the charity ballot for a place in the Marathon.

This is the first time the charity, which helps people with a disability or long-term health condition gain and maintain work, as well as running Acorn Enterprises, has secured a place and they are now looking for someone to run the 26.2 miles on their behalf.

The London Marathon, which next year will be held on Sunday 25 April, is the largest fundraising event in the world, raising more than £1bn for charities since the first race in 1981.

The chosen runner will be expected to raise £2,600 for JET.

“We have set our sights high, because of the impact of Coronavirus this year,” Fundraising manager, Caroline Spencer, explained. “By announcing this early, we hope that it will give people enough time to have some fun with their fundraising.

“We know that securing a place in the London Marathon is not easy. Unsuccessful applications outnumber successful ones by 24:1. We look forward to hearing from runners, whether they already know about our work or not.”

Ms Spencer said that £2,600 could pay for someone who has a disability or long-term health condition to have a three-month internship which JET organises in conjunction with a local employer. 

“Internships can particularly suit clients who have had mental health issues or who are on the autism spectrum,” she added. 

“In the four years that we have been offering internships, we have seen a 75 to 80% success in the client securing the job, which has a knock-on effect for every area of their life.”

“In most cases, clients were claiming income support and therefore the impact was positive in terms of a reduction to the government’s benefits bill.” 

“The benefits are wide-ranging,” Ms Spencer added. “Clients report increases in confidence, skill level and self-esteem. Internships offer clients a clear focus and purpose, resulting in an improvement in physical and mental health, which in turn reduces the level of support needed from other services. 

“And employers report positive outcomes in terms of improving the diversity of their personnel.”

Anyone keen to take on the challenge should email Caroline at fundraising@jet.co.je.