Archant staff join the gold rush for good causes

Archant Gold recipients included:

David Freezer, Archant Norfolk reporter, ran the Norwich half marathon to raise money for the Squirrels Residential Short Breaks Service in Aylsham where his brother, Harry, goes for up to 30 days respite care a year. He raised £390.

Anna Turns staff writer from Devon Life, organised a 5km buggy walk and run followed by a cake sale and raffle in aid of her close friend's seven-month-old baby, Freddy, who has liver cancer. The event raised £4706.50 for CLIC Sargent and Archant Gold matched £3,000 of that total.

Don Williamson, Circulation Director from Archant Anglia, ran six miles at the Norwich Anglia Sport Relief 2012 (Mile), raising £185.57.

Belinda Bennett, Katy Griffin, Alex Walton, Claire Pearce, Dave Somerton-Rees, Timothy Mortimer and Matt Jenkins from Archant South West’s The Midweek Herald newspaper staged an all-night sleep out in Honiton (pictured), Devon and raised £500.15 for The King's Centre Food Bank which has been set up by the Community Church in Honiton to help those in need in the area.

Archant Norfolk’s Eastern Daily Press duo, photographer Ian Burt and journalist David Blackmore (pictured top), each cycled 106 miles on exercise bikes, the equivalent of cycling from King's Lynn to Great Ormond Street Hospital and back. Two years ago, Ian's son had a life-changing operation on his skull at the hospital and has now been told he no longer needs to return for check-ups. They raised £1406.20 for the hospital.

David Blackmore was also one of almost 1,700 to take park in the annual 10km Grand East Anglian Run 2012. He raised £300 for The Norfolk Hospice - Tapping House and completed the course in 46 mins 13 secs which was 6 mins under the times he had posted in training and put him in the top 250 finishers.

John Ford, Archant Director of Production, and three friends cycled more than 100 km over six mountain passes in the Dolomites climbing over 10,000 feet, all in one day and unsupported. John raised £925 of a total of £3,321 for the British Institute for Brain Injured Children (BIBIC).

Stephanie Drury, promotions and brand manager from Archant Life in Worthing, was brave enough to perform a waltz at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Midsummer Ball after an intensive period of training and rehearsals. Although she came last, she was the judges’ choice for humour! Stephanie raised £255 for Hilton in the Community, a foundation which focuses on children and young people and works to improve the quality of education and the provision of health care to relieve suffering and equip individuals.

Jennie Cooper, editor of Archant Life’s Cornwall Life, ran a half marathon at the Eden Project and raised £137 for the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.