Pharmacist Support’s staff and trustees will run, cycle and walk their dogs this week to collectively cover a full marathon, as the sector charity launches a fundraising drive today (April 15).

The Pharmacist Support team will traverse 26.2 miles to honour the charity’s 183rd birthday - or just over 252 yards per year. The marathon will also promote “the importance of physical activity and nature in promoting mental and physical wellbeing”, it said.

The charity has set up a page on JustGiving where supporters can donate.

Read more: Podcast: Women in leadership roles and mental health

Their efforts kick off a mammoth fundraising push to support its mission of “helping pharmacists and their families” with “essential support services”, it added.

Over the next four years, Pharmacist Support aims to raise £1 million across a number of initiatives - or about £7 for each foot covered in a marathon - it announced.

These initiatives include: 

• Appeals for individual donations
• “TEAMGreen” fundraising, which helps people with their own fundraising efforts
• A call for legacy gifts in individual’s wills
• Partnerships to “expand its reach and enhance its support services”

Pharmacist Support chief executive Danielle Hunt said that the charity expects that demand for its services will grow “as demands upon the profession increase”. 

Hunt called on the pharmacy community to support Pharmacist Support’s work “to ensure that no one in our pharmacy family has to face challenging times alone".

 

Partnership updates

 

It comes as the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) announced on Saturday (April 13) that its donations to Pharmacist Support since 2017 had topped £250,000.

PDA director of defence services Mark Pitt said that the trade union looked forward to maintaining its partnership with the charity, which sees the union donate £1 for each of its members every year.

“The PDA is there to help pharmacists with their professional, legal and employment issues, however there will sometimes be other challenges where Pharmacy Support is able to assist,” he added.

Read more: Pharmacist Support reveals new wellbeing course for managers

Hunt said that the partnership between Pharmacist Support and the PDA was “a testament to our shared commitment to the wellbeing of the pharmacy profession”.

She highlighted other “successful and mutually beneficial partnerships” with AAH, Alliance Healthcare and Teva UK. 

And she also announced that Pharmacist Support had engaged in “a formal partnership” with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).

The sector’s charity

 

Last month, Hunt was a guest on C+D’s podcast, talking about her experience of becoming a leader and offering some insight into female pharmacists and mental health.

In January, Pharmacist Support announced that it had launched a new “embracing a workplace wellbeing culture” course designed to support “current and aspiring pharmacy managers and leaders” in creating a more “positive and supportive” work environment to tackle burnout in the sector.

Read more: Pharmacy sector joins forces on charity campaign for 'anxious' trainees

And in May last year, it announced a week-long wellbeing campaign for trainees facing assessment pressures in partnership with Boots, Locate a Locum and the PDA.

Meanwhile, Pharmacist Support is the charity partner of the C+D Awards – which are now open for entries until May 31 with a new category to nominate your Unsung Heroes.