At the start of the year, Headway Essex Staff and volunteers were planning to spend last Saturday getting covered in coloured paint at our eighth annual Colour5K event.
Unfortunately, when Covid-19 struck, we realised that the event would have to be cancelled. From the offset, we were determined that we couldn’t let the pandemic stop us from bringing our Headway Essex community together with some colour, something we’re somewhat famous for in Colchester. So the team put their heads together and our Virtual Colour5K event was proudly launched on the 1st June 2020.
Headway Essex’s First Virtual Inclusive Event
The Virtual Colour5K is our most inclusive event so far, as anyone, regardless of their age, ability, or fitness level can take part. Walk, run, skip or dance, using wheelchairs, frames, or use any aids you need to make it to 5 kilometres, we don’t mind at all. The only rules are that you have to dress up in your MOST colourful attire, the more flamboyant the better, and complete the challenge by the end of July.
One Month Down, One More to Go
We are over the moon at how this event has been received by our community. Many people have already completed their challenge, and have a lovely medal and certificate to show for it, and many more are planning or working towards their Virtual Colour5K goal.
Providing a Positive Focus
One amazing supporter, Danielle Crane, enjoyed our Colour5K event a few years ago, crossing the finish line, with her young sons cheering her on from the sidelines. At that time, they were too little to join their mum in the event, but 2020 was going to be the year that they could finally do so. When our event was cancelled, Danielle’s six-year-old son, Scott, was devastated, however, he soon cheered up when he realised he could still complete his 5K at home!
Danielle was very thankful for the Virtual Colour5K challenge as “It was helpful for Scott to have a challenge to work on, especially something physically active, as he can often spend a lot of time inside because of the lockdown. It was also nice for all of us to have something positive to focus on and a way of helping others during such a difficult time.”
The Crane Family’s Virtual Colour5K Experience
Scott ran approximately 300 lengths of his garden and went on long walks over the course of two weeks to complete the challenge, his three-year-old brother, Murray, frequently kept him company. Danielle loved watching her boys together, “they turned it into a game by doing lots of different types of runs/walks, often pretending to be robots or doing slow motion runs. It was lovely seeing how proud Scott was whenever he’d managed to run another 1k”.
Get Involved
Danielle couldn’t emphasis enough that others should get involved, commenting “the fact that the event can be completed flexibly made it much easier for my young kids to join in. We all put on rainbow face paint and the boys enjoyed wearing their rainbow socks. Scott is so proud that he has raised £190.94 for an amazing cause such as Headway Essex and can’t wait to show off his medal”.
