Gemma Atkinson - Charity Work

Charity Work

In September 2007, Atkinson did a 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) charity run for breast cancer awareness.

She embarked upon a 228 kilometres (142 mi) walk along the Great Wall of China in April 2008, as part of a charity event organised by Olivia Newton-John's breast cancer awareness charity. She was joined on her section of the walk by celebrities Marcus Patric and Ant and Dec amongst others. The walk was intended to symbolise the steps cancer patients must take on their road to recovery.

Atkinson visited The Home and Garden Show at Chester Racecourse on 5 June 2008 to unveil the room she designed with furniture store owner Arighi Bianchi which would be suitable for teenagers in conjunction with the Teenage Cancer Trust charity. Her room design later won first prize and she collected a trophy for her efforts. It was created in association with Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT), the Home and Garden Show's official charity, and the design will now be incorporated into the TCT unit at Christie Hospital, Manchester. Atkinson has also been asked to become a full ambassador for the TCT charity.

On 8 January 2009, Atkinson was at Spinningfields in Manchester helping to launch The Great Manchester Run, a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) run for charity that took place on 17 May 2009. At the launch, she was joined by singer Russell Watson, and actors Anthony Cotton and Britt Ekland. Atkinson ran to raise funds for the New Children's Hospital appeal. She finished the 10k run on 17 May 2009 with a time of 1 hour 6 mins.

In May 2010 Atkinson again took part in the Great Manchester Run, she was competing on behalf of Manchester's The Christie hospital. She hoped to beat her time from the previous year's run of 1 hour 6 mins. She ran a time of 57 minutes, beating her 2009 time by 9 minutes.

In May 2011 Atkinson again took part in the Great Manchester Run, she was competing on behalf of Manchester's The Christie hospital. She again beat her previous years time. She did the run in 55 minutes.

Read more about this topic:  Gemma Atkinson

Famous quotes containing the words charity and/or work:

    With a smile of Christian charity great Casey’s visage shone;
    He stilled the rising tumult, he made the game go on;
    Ernest Lawrence Thayer (1863–1940)

    ... married women work and neglect their children because the duties of the homemaker become so depreciated that women feel compelled to take a job in order to hold the respect of the community. It is one thing if women work, as many of them must, to help support the family. It is quite another thing—it is destructive of woman’s freedom—if society forces her out of the home and into the labor market in order that she may respect herself and gain the respect of others.
    Agnes E. Meyer (1887–1970)