Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity) is delighted to announce it has been appointed the official Charity of the Year for the 2023 TCS London Marathon.
GOSH Charity hopes to raise £3.5million through the partnership to help beat childhood cancer and has today launched its ‘Run it. Beat it’ campaign to inspire runners across the UK to join TeamGOSH for the 2023 TCS London Marathon on Sunday 23 April.
Every day around 600 children from across the UK arrive at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) for specialist care, and the charity exists to fund the hospital’s most urgent needs. GOSH sees the most rare and difficult-to-treat childhood cancers and treats around 400 children who have been diagnosed with cancer every year – more than any hospital in the UK. Although investment in research and treatments has dramatically improved survival rates, cancer remains the most common cause of death in the UK in children aged one to 14.*
Since opening its doors in 1852, GOSH has relied on charitable support to help provide its patients with the extraordinary care, expertise and facilities that they need. The funds raised by those taking on the iconic TCS London Marathon course in 2023 will support children’s cancer care at the hospital.
Louise Parkes, Chief Executive of GOSH Charity says: “The TCS London Marathon is one of the world’s most iconic events, and we are so proud to be the official Charity of the Year for 2023. It takes cutting-edge medical technology, pioneering research, child-focused environments and essential family support services to tackle serious childhood illnesses and rare conditions like childhood cancer, and with the support of our TeamGOSH runners, we’ll be able to make a transformational difference to some of the UK’s most seriously ill children.
“We’re calling on the nation to join TeamGOSH for the TCS London Marathon and help us beat childhood cancer. Your efforts could help change and even save the lives of seriously ill children from across the UK. We’re ready to go, and we can’t wait for you to join us.”
Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the TCS London Marathon said: “We welcome GOSH Charity as our Charity of the Year for the 2023 TCS London Marathon. We all know of the amazing work Great Ormond Street Hospital does for children across the UK and we wish GOSH Charity all the very best in its efforts to raise crucial funds to tackle such a heart-breaking disease in childhood cancer.”
TeamGOSH 2022 runner, Dean McHugh says: “London Marathon Day was absolutely incredible. The atmosphere along the route was just electric. Hearing people call my name and seeing complete strangers cheering was amazing and definitely helped spur me on. I was really proud to run for GOSH Charity and be part of the purple wave flowing along the marathon route. Running together with so many inspiring individuals for one very special cause was truly phenomenal.
“If anyone is considering running as part of TeamGOSH in 2023, then don’t think twice. I loved every second and came away with memories to last a lifetime.”
Alongside recruiting runners for the in-person event, the charity also hopes to inspire its supporters to take on the virtual TCS London Marathon which returns for a fourth year. TeamGOSH also plans to recruit hundreds of new volunteers who will be at the heart of its community of supporters, cheering on those runners who are putting their best feet forward to help beat childhood cancer.
