Retired Major General And New Mum Take On 26-Mile Challenges For Royal Star & Garter
The Chairman of Royal Star & Garter has taken part in a 26-mile indoor row to kick-start a long, gruelling challenge.
Major General Tim Tyler is rowing the equivalent distance from his home in Ovington, Hampshire, to the charity’s Surbiton Home, before ‘rowing’ between the Surbiton, High Wycombe and Solihull Homes. In total, he will cover 156 miles.
He used the 2.6 Challenge on Sunday 26 April to kick-start his initiative, by rowing the first 26 miles.
Major General Tyler is looking to build on the £4,000 he has already raised for Royal Star & Garter, which provides loving compassionate care to veterans and their partners living with disability or dementia.
The 2.6 Challenge is a nationwide initiative aimed to help charities which are feeling the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic from the result of cancelled mass-participation fundraising events such as the London Marathon. Royal Star & Garter has joined with thousands of other charities to take part in the challenge.
Also raising money through the 2.6 Challenge is the charity’s Marketing & Communications Officer Nadia Rehman, who is walking 26 miles over a number of days with her husband Hamaad and four-month-old daughter Maryam.
Speaking about Royal Star & Garter, he added: “Like all organisations, the coronavirus outbreak has pushed our operations in a way that I could never have imagined. Our amazing staff are caring with courage on a daily basis to support vulnerable residents. I want to lead by example and do my bit to ensure Royal Star & Garter can continue offering the very best care through this pandemic and beyond.”
The 2.6 Challenge launched on Sunday 26 April, on what would have been the 40th London Marathon. It aims to inspire people to carry out their own fundraising activities around the numbers 2.6 or 26, while observing isolation and social distancing guidelines.
Nadia, who lives in Kingston, wants to raise £2,000. She was motivated by the work of the charity, and her faith in Islam: “We’re really excited to be raising funds for Royal Star & Garter who provide such amazing care to the veterans who have already sacrificed so much for our country. It was really important to us as a family and as part of our faith that we do our small part towards helping those that are vulnerable and in need of support. We decided that there was no better time for little Maryam’s first fundraiser.”
