A team of runners are to celebrate ChildLine’s 30th anniversary in the Great Birmingham 10K Business Challenge – by helping to raise enough cash to ensure the charity continues its good work for another three decades.

The NSPCC Service Centre team, who work on Newhall Street, are also hoping to beat off other companies and charities running in the challenge to win a trophy for fastest time.

ChildLine helped nearly 300,000 young people in 2014-15.

Yet their counsellors can only answer three out of every four contacts children make to them.

They rely on the support of sponsors through events such as the Great Birmingham 10k on Bank Holiday Sunday, May 1 and Great Birmingham Run half-marathon on October 16.

(L/R) Brian Travers and Robin and Duncan Campbell from UB40 in Centenary Square announcing they are sounding starting gun for Great Birmingham 10K
(L/R) Brian Travers and Robin and Duncan Campbell from UB40 in Centenary Square announcing they are sounding starting gun for Great Birmingham 10K

Simon Hake, Chairman of the NSPCC Birmingham Business Board, and Director of Wardell Armstrong LLP engineering consultancy, is leading the NSPCC team.

He said: “Last year was my first as NSPCC chairman and with various events we raised nearly £50,000 so we’re hoping to better that this year.

“We’ll be the first green team with NSPCC on our T-shirts past the finishing post, that’s for sure.”

Join a club - then aim for a big event like The Great Birmingham 10K Run
Join a club - then aim for a big event like The Great Birmingham 10K Run

Joining Simon in the NSPCC team will be Neil Dunsby of Dunsby Associates LLP, Jamie Partington, Higgs and Sons Law firm, and Sarah Arnold, Client Success Manager at Ex Libris Mobile Campus Solutions.

Deborah Chandos-Hall, head of regional fundraising for NSPCC in the Midlands, said: “I think it’s fantastic as we’re in a culture of running, to get members of the business community doing something that’s helping us to raise much-needed funds for the NSPCC.”

All organisations who enter a team of 12 or more get an engraved plaque in the company’s name.

• To donate to the NSPCC Business Challenge team visit here

• To sign up for the Great Birmingham 10K Business Challenge go here

Runners taking part in the Great Birmingham 10K Run in 2015
Runners taking part in the Great Birmingham 10K Run in 2015

Great Birmingham 10k Business Challenge scroll of honour

More than 200 runners have now signed up as part of the Great Birmingham 10k Business Challenge. Here’s a selection of the companies taking part:

BBC Birmingham 24 (no. of runners)

Certes Computing 8

Churchill Howard Ltd 6

Colliers International 6

Cottons Chartered Surveyors 14

Crystal Specialist Finance 4

Distribution Planning Software Ltd 5

JW Hinks 7

Lema 7

Mazars 27

NSPCC Business Board 6

Paintbox 19

Phoenix Group 17

St Martin’s School 12

Salts Healthcare 12

Solus Ceramics 12

St Paul’s Coommunity Development Trust 12

UPS 4

In partnership with Great Birmingham Run