A team from Meachers Global Logistics has raised more than £300 for Southampton Hospitals Charity after entering this year’s Romsey Relay Marathon, an annual community fundraising event at the Broadlands Estate.
The idea to put a team forward came to Joss Frazer, who works as a fleet administrator for Meachers. She wanted to do something to give back to the neonatal ward that supported her during the birth of her son.
“My son, who’s about to turn four in August, was born 14 weeks’ premature and the complication started whilst I was at work. I went from work in an ambulance to Southampton General and he was delivered by emergency C-section.
“I had to have a blood transfusion and he was in the neonatal ward for a hundred days before we were able to bring him home. The care we received was extraordinary. The staff were incredible – they cared for us to a level that I wasn’t expecting.
“I’ve been looking for a way to give back and this was a small way of showing my appreciation to the staff. We set up a JustGiving page with a target of £100, but we managed to raise £316.”
Six people from Meachers took part in the 26-mile relay race, all from different departments of the business, ranging from administration and marketing to warehousing and transport planning.
Some run in their spare time, while others had never done anything like this before. For Joss, taking part through work and with the support of her colleagues, made it even more special.
“Obviously, I was very unexpectedly and suddenly not at work for over a year, and at no point was I made to feel anything other than supported.
“Coming back to work was made easy for me. They were so willing to work with me to find solutions to any problems. I really felt that I was able to ignore everything else and just focus on our care and wellbeing.
“Being able to do this with a team from Meachers and raise money for this charity meant a lot. We’re already looking to next year to see if we can improve our running time and raise even more money.”
For more information about Meachers, visit www.meachersglobal.com
