Friday, 29^th January 2021

Members of AIESEC, a not-for-profit organisation run by students and recent graduates, have completed an around the world relay race to raise money for ECPAT UK — running a staggering total of 276.92km over 31 hours, 5 minutes and 15 seconds. The map above shows the countries where each of the rapid runners pictured below took part in the relay race — so far, the group have raised £750 and the total is continuing to rise.

AIESEC is a global platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential. During their incredible fundraising feat, 46 runners from across the globe came together to raise money and awareness for a number of charities including ECPAT UK. Led by AIESEC at University College London (UCL), the runners took part in a 31 hour virtual tag team race, meaning that for 31 hours there was at least one person running somewhere in the world. 

The fundraiser included people from all sporting backgrounds, including those who had not run significant distances before. However, with support from the community all those involved managed to reach or surpass their target distances.

Lois Fallon, Fundraising Officer at ECPAT UK, said:

“The AIESEC runners have demonstrated the impact that can be made by digital fundraising events. Although the Covid-19 pandemic has created a number of challenges for fundraisers, including the cancellation of group events such as the London marathon, there are still ways to come together as a community, raise money and awareness, and get your daily exercise.

“As a small charity, every pound raised for ECPAT UK makes a real difference to children and young people affected by trafficking. There are thousands of ways to raise money from the safety and comfort of your own home or local area. We hope the amazing AIESEC runners will inspire others to support our vital work.”

Katie Page, member of AIESEC at UCL, said:

“The work we do at AIESEC in UCL is for the purpose of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). As a team, we strongly admire ECPAT UK’s work in protecting children from trafficking and exploitation, as they too work towards achieving the SDGs of Peace and Justice, and Decent work and Economic Growth.

“The fundraiser was a learning curve for many of us because prior to the event, not many of us liked running! However, on the day of the event, all 46 runners either exceeded or reached their individual targets. We learned what we were capable of because we knew what we were running for and I can say with confidence that we could not have done it without the support of our donors, families, friends and ECPAT UK.”

Creating or taking part in a fundraising event not only raises vital funds for our work, but also raises awareness of child trafficking in the UK, which is essential in bringing an end to this terrible form of child abuse. Visit our fundraising pages for inspiration and see how you can help today!

Contact Lois for more information about fundraising

Lois Fallon, Fundraising Officer, ECPAT UK: [email protected] 0207 607 2136