Thirteen employees from garden furniture, grow your own and decorative garden structure specialist, Zest successfully smashed the Chester 10k on Sunday 10th March, raising funds for the company’s chosen charity of the year North East Wales Mind.
The team of both experienced runners and those running a 10k for the first time represented all divisions of the business and included: Andrew Baker, Hazel Bainbridge, Jenny Blackburn, Steve Gibson, James Guilfoyle, Owen Kelliher, Lowri Mitton, Ben Morgan, Zak Richards, Luke Roberts, Jason St. Lawrence, James Turner and Reza Yaghoubi.
Commenting on the event, experienced runner Andrew Baker who is Zest’s Finance Director said, “We had a great time at the Chester 10k and I’m really pleased that so many of us were able to take part in the race. The course took us past some really lovely scenery, starting next to the iconic Chester Racecourse, passing close to the picturesque village of Mollington before ending with the stunning backdrop of the Eastgate Clock in Chester.
“We’d all like to say a massive thank you to everyone who cheered us along the way – it kept our spirits high and spurred us on to the finish line!”
Fellow team member Jason St Lawrence, who is a British Sign Language interpreter at Zest, added, “This was my very first 10k and I ran it dressed as the film character, Rocky. There were a few shouts of ‘Go on Rocky’, just like the film, as I crossed the line. It was good fun and thanks to everyone who generously supported me.”
North East Wales Mind helps people in Flintshire and Wrexham recover from mental health problems and stay emotionally healthy. In addition to telephone counselling, emotional support, and face to face services the charity offers a range of services and online activities.
The Chester Marathon is just one of many fundraising events planned by Zest employees. Other initiatives include abseiling down Liverpool Cathedral, the Manchester Marathon and a 24-hour relay walk. The company has a fundraising target of £10,000 for 2024.
Over the last 14 years Zest has raised over £150,000 for a range of charities including Dementia UK, British Heart Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospices, Cancer Research UK, Action for Children, Alzheimer’s Society, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and Meningitis Now.
Zest was established in 2005 to bring high quality, sustainable timber garden products to garden centres, online retailers, builders’ merchants, and major purchasing groups across the UK. For further information about Zest’s GYO, decorative and furniture products, visit www.zestoutdoorliving.co.uk.
To donate to North East Wales Mind, please visit https://www.p-a-group.com/charity.
