EMPLOYEES at an insurance agency in Bournemouth helped raised over £97,000 for charity after taking part in a virtual charity run.

Around 50 people from Ageas Insurance laced up their trainers and pounded the pavements as part of ‘Run4Wishes’ in aid of the company’s charity partner, Rays of Sunshine.

The runners, from Ageas’s offices in Bournemouth, Gloucester, Southampton, London and Manchester, chose between a 5k or 10-mile run, with some opting to complete theirs at the Great South Run in Portsmouth and others running their own routes in their hometowns.

Andy Holbert, who works for Ageas in Bournemouth ran the virtual 10 mile run across Wareham Forest.

He said: “Rays of Sunshine is such an amazing cause, and I was so pleased to be part of this team effort.

“Whilst it was a strange experience running an event on my own, it was so inspiring to see all the others at Ageas sharing their pictures on our Strava group and seeing how they were getting on.”

So far £5,689 has been raised, bringing the total raised by Ageas for Rays of Sunshine since last year to more than £97,000.

Rays of Sunshine’s executive director, Nina Bradburn, said: “On behalf of the children and families Rays of Sunshine supports, a huge thank you to each of the runners who took on this fantastic challenge and raised an incredible £5689.

“The past 10 months have been extremely uncertain and challenging and we are more grateful than ever to Ageas and its employees for their commitment and unwavering support.

“The funds raised will enable us to continue bringing joy and hope to seriously ill children and their families at home and in hospital.”

Run4Wishes raises money to help brighten the lives of seriously ill young people and their families by granting wishes and providing ongoing support in hospital and within the community.

It has been Ageas’s nominated charity for 2020/21 and employees have been getting creative with their fundraising, with everything from sponsored runs and game-a-thons to building virtual roads between its offices.

To add to Ageas’s fundraising total visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/displayCharityCampaignPage.action?campaignId=10726.