37-strong team sign up to OX5 Run as there is just one month to go

Hundreds of people are expected to tackle the 5K fun run on Sunday, March 24, in aid of Oxford Children's Hospital charity.

Among them will be a team of staff from Oxford letting agents Finders Keepers as one of the biggest corporate teams in the races history.

The 37-strong team signed up to the OX5 as it announced the company has taken on the Children's Hospital charity as its charity of the year following a staff vote.

Senior marketing manager Victoria Lyall said: "Every other year we choose out charity of the year and we invite all staff to nominate.

"We have more than 100 staff and interestingly the Oxford Children's Hospital Charity had four votes - the only one to be nominated multiple times.

"It is clearly a charity that everyone is very aware of and passionate about supporting."

Ms Lyall said the company had 22 runners take on the OX5 Run around Blenheim Palace last year and raised more than £2,500.

This time, the team of 37 employees have a target to raise £3,500 for the children's hospital.

Ms Lyall added: "I went [to the children's hospital] with a colleague to have a look around and it is just amazing.

"Everyone has been in hospital either themselves or with family generally as an adult, but to have to go through that as children must be awful.

"So to have somewhere like Oxford Children's Hospital to go, where it doesn't really feel like a hospital is great.

"They make so much effort even down to the paintings they have on the walls to calm and distract children on the way to the operating theatres."

The marketing manager will be taking on the OX5 Run for the first time with her colleagues and said she has been told to expect a fun day with 'lots of hills'.

She added: "It went really well last year and everyone really enjoyed it.

"It is going to be a really nice day of team bonding as well as raising money for a great cause."

The OX5 Run, sponsored by Allen Associates, is one of the first in a long line of fundraisers the company have in store for the cause including skydiving, quizzes and other races.

Damon Boughen, community fundraising manager for Oxford Hospitals Charity, said: “We are so thrilled that Finders Keepers have chosen the Oxford Children’s Hospital Charity as their charity of the year. It’s really wonderful when local companies show their support for the hospitals that serve their local community and we’re particularly delighted that Finders Keepers has kicked off their year of fundraising by entering a huge team into the Oxford Mail OX5 RUN.

"To have 37 people taking part is just fantastic – we think this is the biggest corporate team the event has ever had. We’d encourage all local companies to consider entering a team in this amazing local event.”

The run will take place around the grounds of Blenheim Palace and is £17.50 to enter as part of an early bird deal ending tomorrow.

For more details or to sign up go to ox5run.co.uk