Emma's 40th fundraiser for Shelter
Emma Scrivener
My Story
Update 27th April: I DID IT!!!
Feeling very achey today and one toe looking dodgey, but am mainly humbled by the incredible experience of running the London Marathon for Shelter yesterday, following the same course as the world record breakers. I got a time of 5hrs 39 mins (Strava time 5hrs 31 mins) which included water/ loo stops and stops to see friends and family, and dodging around all the amazing teddies, rhinos, knights and rainbows! Over 61k steps done and 2.5lb lost in one day! Luckily my hat rescued me from heat stroke - (it hit 21 degrees!) - my heart rate hit 185bpm!
Thank you so so much to the 100+ people who have supported my fundraising and this fantastic charity. Would love to add a little more to the pot for them before I say goodbye, if anyone else would like to donate! All the Shelter staff I met who came out to look after the runners yesterday were so lovely- up since 5am but still smiling by the evening!
---------------------------------------------
I signed up for a place with the housing and homelessness charity Shelter to run the London Marathon 2026 on Sunday 26th April, while thinking of 40 things to do before I’m 40, and was surprised and very lucky to be offered a place to run for this incredible charity. Shelter support people in lots of ways to get or keep a safe and stable place to call home. Though the law is there in the UK to help protect people’s housing rights, I know from work that many families who are facing homelessness or living in poor home conditions don’t have the means to get the legal help they need to challenge their situation. Often these are families who have had to cope with so much already, such as the death of a partner, being made redundant and struggling with debt, having a child born with disability or serious illness, or fleeing abusive situations, with no one to help fight their corner. This is where Shelter can step in and support, and why I am going ahead with attempting this crazy challenge, to support them to keep going with all the great work they do.
It’s been a dream of mine to run the London marathon since I was little. Now I’m turning 40, it kind of feels now or never! I have been training literally from the couch to Marathon (26.2 miles/ 42km) since Shelter offered me the place in September, and really appreciate everyone’s help to find the motivation to keep going with the training. Before all this the longest I had ever run in my life is 8km, so this really has been a huge personal challenge for me! I've trained through floods, cold, ice, wet, mud, dark and now heat! Hopefully I'll be prepared for what ever Marathon day brings 😆.
Shelter are a charity close to my heart, having worked with many children and families over the years, and seen first hand the difference a safe and stable home can make to their lives, which is why I wanted to fundraise for them especially. Personally for me, coming back home at the end of the day to a warm house in a safe area, knowing it's ours and we can stay as long as we want is something I won’t ever take for granted. Where I work, the reception of the office sometimes has families surrounded by all their belongings stuffed into suitcases and bin liners, sat there sometimes all day with no home and not knowing where they will sleep that night. As a parent I can’t begin to imagine how it must feel to be settling little ones down for bed ready for school in the morning, but you don't know if you will have a roof over your heads the next day. Sadly there are thousands of children in the UK right now (estimated 700000 children class as homeless) who are living out of suitcases or in inadaquate temporary acommodation, not knowing where they will be staying from one day to the next, missing days off school and falling behind.
Thank you in advance for any kind donations! It's such a worthy cause. And wish me luck!!! 😂 xxx
Update 3rd April: Thank you so so much everyone for all your support, generous donations, kind words and advice- please keep it coming! Training from the couch to marathon when you're nearly 40 (and a body age of 41 apparently) is far from easy and had a few set backs, but I'm getting there (longest run 16 miles so far) and hopeful to complete in around 5.5 hours with a couple of stops to say hello to family and friends (finish line around 4.30pm). I did the Paddock wood half marathon in 2 hours, 15 mins (15 mins quicker than expected!) so you never know I might surprise myself again come marathon day!
Race details confirmed I will be bib number 36914 in the Shelter running vest, wave 13 from red gate (starting around 11am). Very excited and nervous now! Last long training run (maybe two if time!) left to do plus as much strength work as possible.
Fundraising has been tricky work fitting it in on top of the training (and busy work and family life!) with some very late nights but it’s been great to get creative making and baking, and have really, really appreciated everyone's support and generosity, thank you so much to all of you who have supported these. My Mother's Day planter gifts earned me fundraiser of the month for Shelter in March, so I will be wearing a gold star on my vest on the big day! Thank you to Alice at Shelter who has been so supportive of me and the other runners.
#AHomeIsEverything
https://england.shelter.org.uk/what_we_do/updates_insights_and_impact/domestic_abuse_housing_rebeccas_story
Link to ‘Rebecca’s Story’ and how Shelter supported her family when they fled domestic violence after years of abuse. It’s not an isolated story and why many parents face an impossible choice when needing to separate from an abusive partner. The campaign work Shelter do to increase available social housing is so important for families in situations like this one, as well as ‘Belinda’s story’ https://england.shelter.org.uk/what_we_do/our_impact/introduction/belindas_story
which highlights the difficulties families with a child with disabilities face, coping day to day without adequate housing. Where councils have needed to tighten their belts and working in social care at the moment often leaves me wondering where the ‘care’ element of the work has gone, charities like Shelter really are a vital life line for many families.
-
Target
£2,500
-
Raised so far
£2,826
-
Number of donors
105
My Story
Update 27th April: I DID IT!!!
Feeling very achey today and one toe looking dodgey, but am mainly humbled by the incredible experience of running the London Marathon for Shelter yesterday, following the same course as the world record breakers. I got a time of 5hrs 39 mins (Strava time 5hrs 31 mins) which included water/ loo stops and stops to see friends and family, and dodging around all the amazing teddies, rhinos, knights and rainbows! Over 61k steps done and 2.5lb lost in one day! Luckily my hat rescued me from heat stroke - (it hit 21 degrees!) - my heart rate hit 185bpm!
Thank you so so much to the 100+ people who have supported my fundraising and this fantastic charity. Would love to add a little more to the pot for them before I say goodbye, if anyone else would like to donate! All the Shelter staff I met who came out to look after the runners yesterday were so lovely- up since 5am but still smiling by the evening!
---------------------------------------------
I signed up for a place with the housing and homelessness charity Shelter to run the London Marathon 2026 on Sunday 26th April, while thinking of 40 things to do before I’m 40, and was surprised and very lucky to be offered a place to run for this incredible charity. Shelter support people in lots of ways to get or keep a safe and stable place to call home. Though the law is there in the UK to help protect people’s housing rights, I know from work that many families who are facing homelessness or living in poor home conditions don’t have the means to get the legal help they need to challenge their situation. Often these are families who have had to cope with so much already, such as the death of a partner, being made redundant and struggling with debt, having a child born with disability or serious illness, or fleeing abusive situations, with no one to help fight their corner. This is where Shelter can step in and support, and why I am going ahead with attempting this crazy challenge, to support them to keep going with all the great work they do.
It’s been a dream of mine to run the London marathon since I was little. Now I’m turning 40, it kind of feels now or never! I have been training literally from the couch to Marathon (26.2 miles/ 42km) since Shelter offered me the place in September, and really appreciate everyone’s help to find the motivation to keep going with the training. Before all this the longest I had ever run in my life is 8km, so this really has been a huge personal challenge for me! I've trained through floods, cold, ice, wet, mud, dark and now heat! Hopefully I'll be prepared for what ever Marathon day brings 😆.
Shelter are a charity close to my heart, having worked with many children and families over the years, and seen first hand the difference a safe and stable home can make to their lives, which is why I wanted to fundraise for them especially. Personally for me, coming back home at the end of the day to a warm house in a safe area, knowing it's ours and we can stay as long as we want is something I won’t ever take for granted. Where I work, the reception of the office sometimes has families surrounded by all their belongings stuffed into suitcases and bin liners, sat there sometimes all day with no home and not knowing where they will sleep that night. As a parent I can’t begin to imagine how it must feel to be settling little ones down for bed ready for school in the morning, but you don't know if you will have a roof over your heads the next day. Sadly there are thousands of children in the UK right now (estimated 700000 children class as homeless) who are living out of suitcases or in inadaquate temporary acommodation, not knowing where they will be staying from one day to the next, missing days off school and falling behind.
Thank you in advance for any kind donations! It's such a worthy cause. And wish me luck!!! 😂 xxx
Update 3rd April: Thank you so so much everyone for all your support, generous donations, kind words and advice- please keep it coming! Training from the couch to marathon when you're nearly 40 (and a body age of 41 apparently) is far from easy and had a few set backs, but I'm getting there (longest run 16 miles so far) and hopeful to complete in around 5.5 hours with a couple of stops to say hello to family and friends (finish line around 4.30pm). I did the Paddock wood half marathon in 2 hours, 15 mins (15 mins quicker than expected!) so you never know I might surprise myself again come marathon day!
Race details confirmed I will be bib number 36914 in the Shelter running vest, wave 13 from red gate (starting around 11am). Very excited and nervous now! Last long training run (maybe two if time!) left to do plus as much strength work as possible.
Fundraising has been tricky work fitting it in on top of the training (and busy work and family life!) with some very late nights but it’s been great to get creative making and baking, and have really, really appreciated everyone's support and generosity, thank you so much to all of you who have supported these. My Mother's Day planter gifts earned me fundraiser of the month for Shelter in March, so I will be wearing a gold star on my vest on the big day! Thank you to Alice at Shelter who has been so supportive of me and the other runners.
#AHomeIsEverything
https://england.shelter.org.uk/what_we_do/updates_insights_and_impact/domestic_abuse_housing_rebeccas_story
Link to ‘Rebecca’s Story’ and how Shelter supported her family when they fled domestic violence after years of abuse. It’s not an isolated story and why many parents face an impossible choice when needing to separate from an abusive partner. The campaign work Shelter do to increase available social housing is so important for families in situations like this one, as well as ‘Belinda’s story’ https://england.shelter.org.uk/what_we_do/our_impact/introduction/belindas_story
which highlights the difficulties families with a child with disabilities face, coping day to day without adequate housing. Where councils have needed to tighten their belts and working in social care at the moment often leaves me wondering where the ‘care’ element of the work has gone, charities like Shelter really are a vital life line for many families.
