A Surrey Quays social entrepreneur will walk a marathon along the Thames path to raise vital funds for the 999 Club.
Tessa Gooding, co-director of estate agent social enterprise Urban Patchwork, will be accompanied by her dog Thali for the 26-mile route from Teddington Lock to Pepys Park in Deptford this Saturday (12 October).
The route along the Thames path is set.
She will be battling forecast rain showers with the aim of finishing the challenge in nine hours. Tessa hopes to raise at least £999 for the Deptford-based homeless charity through her efforts.
To encourage people to donate, Tessa has also created a raffle incentive. For every £5 people donate, they will be entered into a prize draw, with the chance to win luxury goodies donated by local businesses. These include one month’s membership at Fitness Space in Surrey Quays, a five-class pass for the Yoga Room in Deptford Market Yard, brunch for two at Deptford’s Dirty Apron or a £50 voucher for historic riverside pub The Mayflower in Rotherhithe, a £50 voucher for The Pear Tree restaurant in Greenland Place and a £25 voucher for Leadbelly’s Bar & Kitchen in Canada Water.
This will be Tessa’s second fundraising Thames walk for the 999 Club, after she completed 32 miles of the Thames Path last year – her organisation has helped raise £6,000 for 999 Club so far after opening 18 months ago and has also helped spread the word about what the charity does.
Urban Patchwork will also use the majority of its profits for homeless housing and support to help meet more people’s housing needs and also aim to influence positive change in the estate agency sector.
Tessa said: “Nothing is more important than having a place to come home to at the end of a stressful day: to feel safe and secure, to unwind and recuperate, to socialise with friends, to express your identity. Having a home is the basis for a healthy and fulfilling life but this is increasingly out of reach for many. The 999 Club is my local homeless charity and it does amazing work – I actually grew up just up the road on Amersham Road, so I’ve been aware of the charity for a long time. With more people experiencing homelessness, its services are needed more than ever.”
“I’m most worried about the fact I’m not as fit as last year and the most I’ve walked in training is 18-miles. I’m hoping my dog Thali will cope okay too! Unfortunately, it looks like wet weather for Saturday but we’ll power on through.”
Gülen Petty, Head of Fundraising at the 999 Club, said: “We’re enormously grateful for all Tessa’s work to support the 999 Club and wish her the very best of luck with her Thames Path challenge.”
You can donate to Tessa’s online fundraising page here.
Raffle winners will be notified on 25 October. Full details of how to enter are here.