A BT Sutton Coldfield worker and running enthusiast makes it a clean sweep with gold medal Paralympian Jonnie Peacock
Who said keeping fit was rubbish?
BT worker Jo Orton, from Sutton Coldfield, doesn’t think so!
She swapped her laptop for a broom to turn her passion for running to good use - with help from gold medal Paralympian Jonnie Peacock.
Jo took part in the first of a series of events designed to combine keeping fit with putting something back into the local community.
The event marked the start of a partnership between BT and running community GoodGym, whose supporters combine getting fit with doing good around the UK.
Jo was part of 40-strong group of BT staff and other volunteers who took part in a three kilometre run from BT’s city centre offices in Birmingham, to a community playground adjacent to Nelson Mandela Primary School, in Balsall Heath.
There they met sprinting legend Jonnie Peacock who led them in an hour’s sweeping, tidying, gardening and litter picking to make the area spick and span for the local children, before running back to the start.
The aim of the task was to achieve what would have been the equivalent of five days’ work for one person.
Jo said: “I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. It was my first GoodGym event but it certainly won’t be my last, because it’s a great initiative.”
“Meeting Jonnie Peacock was rather exciting. He was very keen to get stuck in and help clear the playground so the children could start using the facility again. He seemed genuinely touched by all of our efforts.”
GoodGym has joined forces with BT to enable them to reach even more communities over the next year, including a further 15 cities.
Details of all the events are available at: www.goodgym.org
Jonnie Peacock MBE, a BT Ambassador, said: “BT has a long history of supporting volunteering and is committed to using the power of sport to change people’s lives. GoodGym combines both. It’s a great way to get fit, meet new people and do some good. I enjoyed joining in and doing my bit.”
Ivo Gormley, founder of GoodGym said: “With the support of BT I hope we develop a strong culture of community exercise that helps get new people into running and makes a big difference to community organisations across the country.”
Issued by the BT regional press office. For more information please contact Emma Tennant on 0800 085 0660 or email: emma.tennant@bt.com Twitter: @EmmaTennantBT
All BT news releases can be read at www.bt.com/newscentre
About BT
BT’s purpose is to use the power of communications to make a better world. It is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed-mobile products and services.BT consists of six customer-facing lines of business: Consumer, EE, Business and Public Sector, Global Services, Wholesale and Ventures, and Openreach.
For the year ended 31 March 2016, BT Group’s reported revenue was £19,042m with reported profit before taxation of £3,029m.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visit www.btplc.com
About GoodGym
GoodGym is a growing community of runners who combine their exercise with helping their
communities. Founded in 2009, its members stop off on their runs to do manual labour for
community organisations and to support isolated older people. GoodGym is expanding rapidly from its roots in Tower Hamlets to other boroughs and cities and is currently active in 26 boroughs and cities. It aims to launch in every city in the UK by 2018. GoodGym is a non-profit company and is registered with the Charity Commission.
GoodGym is free to participate in and welcomes all levels of runners.
