Housebuilding employee puts in the miles for Mind at London Marathon
07 Oct 2021
Vistry East Midlands employee Neil Kendrick has run the 2021 London Marathon in aid of mental health charity Mind ?" 12 years after he first completed the iconic race. Production manager Neil, who lives in Ipswich, joined around 50,000 other runners on Sunday 3 October to tackle the gruelling 26-mile course from Blackheath to The Mall. The 54-year-old crossed the finish line in 5 hours and 17 minutes, raising over £500 for Mind ?" the company’s nominated charity. Neil works at several sites across Cambridgeshire in his role for Vistry East Midlands, which is part of the Vistry Group comprising Bovis Homes, Linden Homes and Vistry Partnerships. Mind ?" which is a charity aimed at supporting people experiencing a mental health problem ?" is also close to Neil’s heart as all three of his children have suffered from anxiety in the past. Neil said: “This is the second time I have completed the London Marathon, which I first ran back in 2009. I attempted it again in both 2010 and 2011, but my ankle broke the first year and my leg the next! My luck changed this year and I’m proud to have put myself up to the test ?" especially as I’m not as fit as I was 12 years ago. “I unexpectedly got a ballot place after agreeing with my son James that we would both enter, knowing that when we got rejected, we would be given a nice running fleece. Imagine the shock when not only my son got in but so had I! We’ve spent the last year and a bit training on and off ?" mostly at the weekends ?" and it feels great to say that the hard work paid off. “I picked Mind as my sponsored charity because Vistry have supported them for years, and because my children have all experienced mental health problems in the past. My daughter has previously used their services to help with her depression and anxiety, so I know just how important Mind really is. “I’d like to thank everyone who sponsored me for their generosity ?" including my colleagues at Vistry who have been incredibly supportive.” The Virgin Money London Marathon takes place annually and has become a popular fixture in the world’s sporting calendar since it was first established in 1981. So far, over a million people have run the marathon and more than a billion pounds has been raised for charity. Nic Chapman, sales and marketing director for Vistry East Midlands, said: “To run a marathon is a remarkable achievement, so we are really proud of Neil for taking on this challenge and putting the miles in for such a great cause. “We’ve had a strong relationship with Mind for years, and, in light of the pandemic ?" which has negatively impacted so many people’s mental health ?" there has never been a more important time to support the incredible work they do.” To find out more about Mind, visit mind.org.uk. For more information on new homes being delivered by Vistry East Midlands see bovishomes.co.uk or lindenhomes.co.uk/eastmidlands.
