Lacing Up and Mucking In: Some of Our Team Volunteer at the 5K The Centre Way!

What an unforgettable weekend! On Saturday, 11th July, some of our team headed down to Victoria Park in Widnes to volunteer at 5K The Centre Way. This fantastic event was organised by Halton Cancer Support, a brilliant local charity doing vital work in our community. The sun was out, the energy was electric, and those of us who went were proud to be part of an event that brought the whole community together for such a vital cause.

Early Birds and Event Setup

While the official event didn’t kick off until midday, some of our team turned up early between 9:30 AM and 10:00 AM to muck in with the pre-event heavy lifting.

• Moving equipment and supplies into place around the central hub.
• Setting up the main event area and help desks.
• Clearly marking out the 5K route to ensure the runners and walkers wouldn’t lose their way.

Our base for the day was the historic Victoria Park Bandstand, which looked spectacular framed by a vibrant orange and blue balloon arch courtesy of @notanotherballoondisplay.

Some of the team ready for action at the bandstand!

High-Vis, High Energy, and Festival Vibes

By 11:30 AM, the park was absolutely buzzing. The team members who volunteered suited up in bright orange high-vis vests and volunteer badges, ready to cheer, marshal, and handle everything from the sign-in desks to the donation buckets.

The organisers put on an incredible atmosphere to keep spirits high before the starting whistle:

• The Soundtrack: The fantastic Farnworth Community Choir filled the park with a beautiful live performance ahead of the pre-race briefing.
• The Activities: Families enjoyed badge making with Halton Libraries, festival glitter from Cutting Edge Hair Salon, and the quirky Widnes Duck Hunt!
• The Warm-Up: Just before the race, the crowd got moving with a lively warm-up led by Ashana Raynes (Women and Girls Running Club), Shazza Raynes (The Wellness & Wellbeing Woman), and the legendary Pink Tutu Guy, who also hosted the selfie station!

Keeping cool and cheering everyone on from the marshaling stations

At 12:30 PM sharp, local favourite The Grumpy Northern Foodie officially cut the ribbon to start the 5K! Participants of all paces—runners, walkers, prams, and dogs on leads—headed out onto the flat, fully accessible course to complete their 4.5 laps.

An Inspiring Success for a Great Cause

The afternoon wrapped up perfectly back at the bandstand with a huge raffle and tombola draw at 2:15 PM. Once the event officially drew to a close at 3:00 PM, our guys stuck around to help the organisers pack up, clear away any litter, and leave the beautiful park exactly as we found it.

With the cleanup finished, our volunteers headed off to tend to their various other weekend events and family plans—tired, but incredibly glad to have lent a hand for such an inspiring local cause.

An incredible community turnout for Halton Cancer Support!

A massive thank you to Event Manager Nicola Donoghue, Safety Manager Dez Donoghue, and the rest of the charity staff for looking after our volunteers so well. Every penny raised from the event goes directly to helping local people in Halton who are affected by cancer. We are already looking forward to supporting the next one!