Seven years ago, Peter McGahan and Stephane Delourme returned to Cornwall having completed seven marathons, in five months, covering 2,500 miles and 2.1million steps raising £30,000. We look back at how this mammoth fundraising challenge helped Cornish charities build on their work helping the most vulnerable in society.
SEVEN years ago today, (TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19) Worldwide Financial Planning’s CEO Peter McGahan and his best friend, Stephane Delourme, completed a gruelling challenge which most of us would feel weak at the knees at the very thought of it.
If anyone asked me – how do you fancy running seven marathons in seven Celtic countries over a five-month period, I would undoubtedly have turned a whiter shade of pale.
But, for Peter, who writes personal finance columns for the media, and Stephane, Group Head Chef at The Rick Stein Group, it was much more than a physical challenge – it was about raising money for charities which were, and still are, very close to their hearts – The Invictus Trust, Ellie’s Haven and Action For Children.
The marathon runners decided they wanted to do something which would benefit the most vulnerable people in society – young people. Peter and Stephane, who both have three daughters, decided to support the three charities because they felt that, if, as adults, we cannot look after children who are the most vulnerable in society, then who will?
So, after many phone calls to family and friends, the pair had the support they would need to do seven marathons in seven Celtic regions.
Once that team was in place, in April 2014, Peter and Stephane kicked off the ‘Celtic 7 Marathon Challenge’ which started with the Belfast Marathon which was followed by gruelling marathons in Brittany, Wales, the Isle of Man, Galicia in Spain, and then Scotland, before finishing at Cornwall’s Eden Project in October 2014.
Seven marathons later, after approximately 2,500 miles, 2.1million steps, the pair raised £30,000 for the three charities – £16,000 of which was raised before they even took their first step in Belfast.
But, for Peter and Stephane, every step, every ache and pain was well worth it knowing their epic Celtic 7 Marathon Challenge has benefited so many young people and leaves a lasting legacy in Cornwall.
The friends chose to support The Invictus Trust – a charity dedicated to the memory of Cornish teenager, Ben Cowburn, whose short struggle with mental health problems had tragic consequences. The 18-year-old, from Truro, took his own life and his family formed The Invictus Trust, a charity dedicated to Ben.
Celtic 7 Marathon Challenge
Speaking to Ben’s mum Sharon this week, she explained how vital awareness-raising and fundraising has been for The Invictus Trust.
She said: “No-one was really talking about mental health back then. As parents, we need to do what we can for our children. The media weren’t talking much about mental health back then to the level they are now. When Peter and Stephane came to us about their fundraising idea we were delighted they chose to help us.
“We started The Invictus Trust by raising awareness. Ben’s sisters started giving talks at schools but a big thing for us was to campaign for a new mental health unit here in Cornwall. Ben took ill when he was just 18 but because of his age he was put into an adult facility and that was not therapeutic at all. We needed to put that right because there was nothing in Cornwall to meet the needs of young people and many parents were forced to travel for six or seven hours just to see their children.
“We set up The Anchor Fund to supply travel grants to families in Cornwall who sadly have a child being cared for in a mental health hospital outside of Cornwall. Some of these families struggle to travel to Manchester, Kent, or Bristol regularly just to see their child. To date, Invictus has gifted over £40,000 to help these families.
“But the Anchor Fund was a sticking plaster. My husband Steve spent years campaigning with commissioning groups and MPs to have something permanent in Cornwall. Finally, after a long uphill battle, the NHS Sowenna Adolescent mental health unit in Bodmin became a reality. It opened in 2019 and The Invictus Trust proudly donated £100,000 to help it be as innovative as possible for the young people receiving care there. Without fundraising, we would not have been able to do what we have done.
“Within our donation, we have fully equipped a state of the art café at Sowenna because we believe a non-clinical space is so important where young people, visitors, and staff can relax and connect.
“We have also provided Sowenna with a Virtual Reality project and with a minibus to transport young people on trips into the community and on home visits. All of this is thanks to funds raised for the Invictus Trust which includes Peter and Stephane’s mammoth marathon challenge.
“It was very emotional for us with the Sowenna unit finally opened. But our work didn’t stop there. We continued to campaign to extend the age range beyond 18 years so that people like Ben could receive age-appropriate care. We are so proud to say that this has now been achieved and Sowenna is the only NHS facility in England to be offering this progressive treatment to adolescents.”
“We will continue to equip and innovate where we can so we can achieve the very best young people’s mental health care. We have also previously gifted three £1,000 grants for new equipment to youth mental health units in Devon,” Sharon said.
She added: “Here we are now in a post-pandemic situation and children are struggling. During Covid-19, children, like adults, have suffered from isolation, not being able to see their friends and families, drama and sports clubs cancelled, so it is really important that we all look out for each other.”
“We are constantly hearing reports of young people’s well-being worsening. Schools here are reporting a real mental health crisis. Mental health needs to be talked about and good facilities need to be freely available when they are required – just as we expect with our physical health.”
“We are all human beings and we need to care for each other.”
Another charity that benefited from Peter and Stephane’s marathon efforts was Ellie’s Haven – a charity offering non-medical short holidays to children with life-limiting illnesses. Ellie is the daughter of the charity founders – her parents Nigel and Julie but Ellie died before her seventh birthday of a terminal condition which took the life of her brother also.
Speaking to Ellie’s dad Nigel about the work of the charity, he said: “It’s been 13 years since Ellie’s Haven was set up. Since it was set up, the charity has empowered hundreds of families to spend quality time together away from their normal surroundings, in a specially adapted property in the Looe Valley in Cornwall.
“We wanted to create a special place for special children – a place designed to help families with disabled children so they can enjoy a stress-free holiday. It is in a peaceful, secluded location and is equipped with built-in hoists, an assisted bath, and other facilities at the accommodation.
“Fundraising has been so instrumental in making things happen for Ellie’s Haven. Local fundraising has helped us improve the services offered to families and children who are very much in need of support. The need for our services is so strong in Devon and Cornwall so everything Peter and Stephane did for us, along with all other fundraisers, has been vital. It has empowered us to make things happen. Their marathon effort was unbelievable. Ellie’s Haven was so grateful to have been chosen.”
Peter and Stephane also raised money for Action For Children, a national charity that gives a voice to the most vulnerable, disadvantaged, and neglected children and young people.
Locks Farmer, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at Action for Children, said: “The passion and commitment shown by Stephane and Peter in the Celtic 7 Marathon Challenge has been truly inspiring. We’ve been incredibly grateful to them for their fundraising efforts which will help provide essential support to children who desperately need our help across the UK.”
Speaking about the legacy their fundraising challenge has left, Peter said: “These two Cornish-based charities were set up by parents who knew they needed to do something to help other children and their families. There’s nothing more commendable and selfless. Stephane and I, like other parents, couldn’t even imagine the heartache but at least we could do something to help.
“Our journey across seven Celtic nations was remarkable. There were times we certainly felt the pressures of undertaking such a task challenge. Stephane and myself were no spring chickens when we were doing it, but, the journey was well worth it to know the money raised has made such a powerful impact on our vulnerable young people. We are adults, we need to nurture and protect our young people. We couldn’t have done it without the help of everyone who got involved and everyone who donated so to those people I say ‘thank you’ again.”
Adding to Peter’s sentiments, Stephane said: “I’m a proud Breton living in Cornwall so to have the opportunity to be involved with this experience was just perfect. I love challenges and travelling. I love learning about new cultures and finding out how other people live. I love to learn from others and give some of my knowledge back when I can. The journey is part of the experience and for me this is what life is all about.
“Running seven marathons of the Celtic regions of Europe, with one of the toughest races in the world – Galicia – in such a short time, was exhausting but so rewarding.
“We were so fortunate to be able to raise £30,000 for vulnerable, disadvantaged, and neglected children plus it was so important for us to raise awareness for these charities.
“I will always be so grateful to Peter for giving me the opportunity to do this challenge of a lifetime for these children and young people. It’s hard to believe it’s been seven years but it’s superb to hear how these charities have been able to help the most vulnerable. It’s our role as adults to help – the Celtic 7 Marathon Challenge empowered us to do that.”
If you would like to donate to The Invictus Trust visit HERE – you can also donate to Ellie’s Haven You can also donate to help the work of Action For Children
ENDS:
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