EALING Half Marathon CIC, organisers of the award-winning Ealing Half Marathon, have announced that they are donating 10% of all race entry fees received during December to Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter.

The contribution to Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter is an extra incentive to sign up this month as the race is also offering a price freeze on entry fees until 31st December 2016.

This means that anyone signing up during December will be saving money as well as helping to provide shelter for those who need it during the cold winter months.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Ealing Half Marathon has pledged to support the homeless in the community, and more than £1,500 has been raised for Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter over the last four years thanks to race entries during the month of December.

Entries to the Ealing Half Marathon 2017 opened two weeks after the 2016 race in September, and the organisers have been working closely with the Anglican churches since the inaugural event in 2012 with the congregations on the running route manning the water stations.

Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter (ECWNS) is run by an ecumenical coalition of churches within the London Borough of Ealing.

They provide emergency dormitory style accommodation for up to 14 guests, including those who are sleeping on the streets, those who are at immediate risk of rough sleeping locally and the ‘hidden homeless’.

The shelters are open during the winter months when they are most needed, from late November to the end of March, and on each night of the week a different church opens its doors to their guests, providing a hot meal, somewhere to sleep, breakfast and companionship.

On average, guests stay for about four weeks, during which time ECWNS works with partner agencies and local housing services to look for a way to move on, ideally to more permanent housing.

Race director Sandra Courtney said: “The Ealing Half Marathon is proud to support Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter for another year.

“As we are a Community Interest Company (CIC) our primary focus is benefiting the community, and by donating a portion of our proceeds during December we are able to immediately help those in the community most at risk during the cold winter months.

“ECWNS provides for the most basic and essential needs of homeless people, namely sleep and food, and also has a wider impact on the community through the extensive network of volunteers.

“We are hoping that many people will make their run count even more by signing up to Ealing “Half Marathon during December to raise vital funds for this great cause, and at the same time take advantage of our early bird price freeze.”

Alison Wood, project co-ordinator at Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter said: “We are honoured that the Ealing Half Marathon is once again helping to fund our work with homeless people in Ealing borough.

"It’s welcome news as we just have opened for another season and we have already seen some particularly chilly nights, so we want to do all we can to bring people into the shelter out of the cold.

“Every £4 will feed someone for one night and £50 buys a new folding bed, so the contribution from the race will make a real difference.”

The sixth Ealing Half Marathon takes place on Sunday 24th September 2017.

The race is well known for its huge community support and great atmosphere, with runners travelling from all over the UK and abroad to experience the #EalingFeeling.

Having been voted the UK’s best half marathon for the last three years at The Running Awards, the Ealing Half Marathon is a firm fixture in the running calendar and welcomes runners of all ages and abilities each autumn.

The race starts and finishes in Lammas Park and features a 13.1-mile traffic-free route around the leafy streets and parks of the West London Borough.

A total of 8,000 places are available for 2017 and entries are open.

Until 31st December the price freeze early bird will keep prices the same as for 2016, meaning affiliated runners pay only £36 and unaffiliated runners £38 to secure a place on the start line next year.  

The pricing structure has been designed to benefit early entrants, with entry fees set to rise on 1st January and again on 1st May 2017.

The race is expected to sell out by the end of July.

10% of every entry received during December 2016 will be donated to Ealing Churches Winter Night Shelter.

Go to www.ealinghalfmarathon.com for further race details and to sign up, like the Facebook page www.facebook.com/ealinghalf and follow @EalingHalf #EalingFeeling on Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest news about the Ealing Half Marathon.