Charities & voluntary groups
L-R Tracey Spare RSFR Event Director; Olive O’Sullivan, CEO Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council; Vanessa Hoe RSFR Director, Royal Sutton Coldfield Mayor, Councillor Yip; Gary Phelps, President Royal Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce; Nicola Davies, RSFR Director; James Pike, RSFR Director
154 charities, voluntary organisations and community interest groups – nominated by those who participated in the Fun Run – financially benefitted from money raised in this year’s Royal Sutton Fun Run on 1 June, 2025.
The Fun Run was created back in 1982 to provide entrants with an opportunity to raise money for an organisation of their choice. While regular recipients such as Cancer Research UK, Birmingham Hospice, British Heart Foundation, Teenage Cancer Trust & Birmingham Children’s Hospital appear as regular choices, smaller local organisations are regularly nominated such as Acacia Family Support, Cancer Support Centre [Sutton Coldfield], Kids’ Village, YMCA Sutton Coldfield.
The continuing challenging economic climate and the ongoing reduction in support from local authorities to many charities, is forcing most charities, including some of the major players, to constantly evaluate how best they deploy their resources and how best to optimise fundraising opportunities.
Rather than go to the expense of organising events of their own, they are looking more closely to third party events where they can encourage supporters to register and raise money for their chosen charity.
The facility to raise money for a specific organisation has always been a key component and attraction of the Royal Sutton Fun Run, and that concept is being grasped by more and more people.
The total distributed in 2023 was £187,100 – more than double the 2022. In 2024 the total was £302,400 a whopping £115,000 higher than the previous year. In 2025 a further £285,570 was raised bringing the total distributed since 1982 to a staggering £5.69 million.