James Gilley

Winner: Favourite Charity (small) at 2018 & 2019 Running Awards. The Running Charity is an independent charity harnessing the power of running to support young people who are experiencing homelessness or manage complex needs. My role in founding The Running Charity when I was 22 years old has been my greatest achievement to date. Following the unexpected death of a close friend from a drug overdose, I deferred my degree and dedicated all my time to supporting those in similar situations. This experience led me to developing a unique sport-for-development programme, which I was then able to register as a charity and establish the inaugural board of trustees and delivery team. Due to its success, I never made it back to University, but am immensely proud of everything it continues to achieve with the incredible people at the helm of this now a national organisation guiding and inspiring hundreds of lives. A selection of responsibilities included; - Successful applications to the charity commission and bank. - Concept development & implementation of the programmes. - Fundraising; grants, sponsorship, donations, campaigns. - Managing staff and volunteers at the many runs & events. - Secured endorsements and support from celebrities and major brands. - Creative decision of the charity's branding & website working with an agency. - Set up of the organisations social media accounts, posting, engagement and content creation. - Governance set-up and management. - Public & key note speaking, high profile networking.