Bitterly cold conditions didn't deter our team of hardy fundraisers from taking part in the 5k challenge for Maggie's Cancer Centre in Oldham a couple of weekends ago, raising £450 and counting!
Twenty colleagues, family members and some pets turned out to cover 5 kilometres (3 miles) in Alexandra Park on the doorstep of our Oldham HQ.
For some, it was the chance to run the route of the 5k Park Run held in the park every Saturday, while for others, the pace was a little more sedate, providing a chance to chat while strolling in the (very) fresh air!
Our team was gathered to mark World Cancer Day (February 4th) by our Assistant Marketing Manager, Kenika Gumbs, who says: "Despite the freezing cold weather everyone who promised to take part did, so a big thank you to all involved.
"It was an opportunity for us to come together as a community to support a cause that touches so many lives - as many of us know first-hand."
Maggie's Centre in Oldham is part of a UK-wide and overseas network of cancer support hubs, giving cancer patients, their families and friends practical, emotional and social support.
Practical advice includes money worries, nutrition, exercise, wills and legacies, while emotional support includes dealing with a diagnosis, handling treatment, and dealing with stress.
Social support connects patients, friends and family with others in a similar situation, while carers young and old can seek help too.
Kenika adds: "Maggie's Centres provide vital support to individuals and families affected by cancer, offering a place of comfort, understanding, and hope. Knowing this made each step we took that much more meaningful."
This is the second year in a row we have supported Maggie's 5k challenge.
Last year we raised £350, which then proved to be the catalyst for a skydive by our joint founder and owner Martin Hill and two directors - Dan Mounsey, Marketing and Business Development, and Andy Evans, IT - who saw an advertisement for the skydive opportunity while handing over our 5k challenge cheque at the centre.
They took to the skies last October raising more than £2,250. The question now is what could this year's cheque handover lead to?
There's still time to swell our total for this excellent cause - just visit our fundraising page here.