Salvation Army worker gears up for London marathon

A Salvation Army staff member is to run the London marathon to help support the church and charity’s vital work with modern slavery survivors.

Peter Maybury, Regional Manager for Employment Plus* in the north west, is well on track after enlisting his ex-professional footballer brother to help with the fundraising.

Peter said: “I’ve run the Dublin Marathon before, but the London Marathon is something different. I thought post-pandemic it would be great one to do. I’m new to The Salvation Army as well so I thought I best muck in and prove I’m committed to the church and charity!

“My little brother Alan Maybury used to play for Leeds United and had some shirts that he had swapped with other players in the Champions League so he kindly let me auction the shirts he had from some of those matches. A collector in Madrid bought two of them so that was a good start to the fundraising and gave me the confidence to do it. It’s all on track barring the odd blister.

“I’ve started training and am up to about 19 miles, so the next few months is about getting those extra miles in. I go out three to four times a week and try not to use the same routes to make it more interesting. For me, it’s more of a mental challenge. The first half is fine, but it’s the second half when it becomes so easy to just give up and walk. For the Dublin one, I got to 17 miles and I’d just had enough, so I feel like I have unfinished business with the marathon.

“On the day, it’s going to be a case of the crowd cheering me along and I know there will be plenty of support from Salvation Army staff, as there has been already.”

As part of his work with Employment Plus, Peter has been researching the impact of modern slavery and looking at how to help survivors as they move out of supported accommodation and find work.

Peter continued: “We have also been working with Lifehouses (supported accommodation for former homeless people) and Salvation Army corps (churches) to make sure there is consistent support for people who may have financial problems or are looking to find work or training as they take the next step in their lives.

“I’m proud to be raising money to help survivors, who we know have been through some horrendous experiences, and are often rehoused here without family and having to rebuild their lives from scratch.”

The London Marathon will be held on Sunday 3 October 2021. For those unable to travel to London there is also the Virtual London Marathon, which runners can complete on the same day over the course of 24 hours, wherever they are in the world.

You can donate to Peter's fundraiser on Just Giving here. 

If you are interested in running the Virtual London Marathon or applying for the Physical London Marathon 2022 click here.