Havens Hospices is inviting teams from Essex businesses to take part in its first Race4Business event and help raise vital funds for its specialist hospice care.

After cancelling the event in 2020 due to the pandemic, the charity is looking forward to bringing the 3.5-mile run back to Chelmsford on Wednesday, September 15 at 6.30pm.

Havens Hospices took over the organisation of the event from law firm Birketts after its last event in 2019.

Race4Business has become a significant annual fixture in the business community calendar. It raises money for the Essex-based hospice charity which provides palliative and supportive care to all age groups living with a complex or incurable condition through its three hospice services: Little Havens, The J’s and Fair Havens.

This year’s race will be the event’s 22nd and starts in Chelmsford High Street, taking teams of businesses through the city’s Admirals Park and then Central Park. After participants have finished their run, food and drink stalls, music and entertainment will be on offer – providing a great social evening out of the office with work colleagues.

The mainly flat 3.5-mile course has no minimum speed or standard of fitness required; participants can walk, jog or run making it suitable for a range of ages and abilities. To make things a bit more fun, there will also be prizes for the winning individuals and teams, plus best fancy dress.

One business that is excited to be taking part in this year’s event is R.C Boreham & Co, an agricultural dealership based in Pleshey, Chelmsford.

R.C Boreham has been taking part in Race4Business for 12 years and for this year’s event they hope to have around 20 people in their team including staff, family and friends.

Little Havens Hospice is a cause close to R.C Boreham’s heart – the family-run business knows first-hand how the charity makes such a difference to the families they care for.

Evie Malins, 11 from Chelmsford, is the daughter of a cousin to Anna Hunter, one of the business partners at the firm. Evie’s grandparents, uncle and great-auntie also work at the firm as business partners.

Evie has been coming to Little Havens with her family for respite breaks since 2016. Recently with the lockdown restrictions easing, Evie and her family have been able to visit and benefit from the facilities at the children’s hospice like the accessible garden equipment and the multi-sensory room.

Anna said: “Evie gets so much out of her trips to Little Havens – lockdown has been really tough so it’s been great for Evie, her brother, mum Sarah and Gaga (Grandma), to have been able to visit recently and make use of the hospice’s garden facilities.

“Evie loves the outdoors and at Little Havens she can access things like a wheelchair swing and bike – activities that you just don’t get at your local park. It really is a special place that allows families to relax in a safe environment, leaving them to create those all-important memories.”

For R.C Boreham & Co, the event is also a great way to gather colleagues together and have some fun.

Anna said: “For us as a company, the race creates a positive buzz about the workplace and a little bit of friendly inter-departmental competition. On race day, there is a great atmosphere – the volunteers and the spectators around the course are a huge part of this – along with the team spirit from the many businesses that take part, not forgetting the reason we are all there, to raise money for a fantastic charity.

“For any business that is considering taking part, go for it – it’s an event that everyone can get involved with. The pandemic has affected us all but charities need us more than ever, as do the people they support – join in the fun and help Havens Hospices make every day count for their patients.”

It’s thanks to events like Race4Business that the charity can continue providing its specialist hospice care free of charge to children like Evie and her family.

This year’s Race4Business event is kindly sponsored by businesses: Gallagher, MHA Macintyre Hudson, Willmott Dixon, Tangent International, Utilize Plc, Birketts and MS Amlin.

It costs £20 per person to take part. To register a team, click here.