A Jersey Employment Trust employee is teaming up with an HR professional to raise money for JET and Acorn Enterprises.
Employer Engagement Manager Dean Lowe, who has worked for JET for 17 years, and Kiley Henley (pictured together), chair of IoD Jersey’s Diversity and Inclusion sub-committee, worked together earlier this year on an event which focused on Valuing Neurodiversity in the Workplace.
Now they have decided to raise money for JET by participating in the Virtual London Marathon on Sunday 23 April.
They will walk a 26.2-mile route starting from Acorn in Trinity, east to Gorey, along the coast road, via town, along to St Aubin and up to Corbière.
For Dean, it is a chance to challenge himself after he broke his back last year. He explained: “I was off work for 10 weeks after a trampolining accident,’ he said. ‘Knowing what it was like first-hand to deal with the pain, slow recovery and frustration at wanting to get back to work gave me a personal insight into the challenges faced by some of the clients we work with.
“Walking 26.2 miles is going to be challenging, but I am motivated to do it to raise money and awareness about what JET does.”
They are likely to be wearing at least squirrel ears and tail, to draw attention to themselves as they say they intend to ‘squirrel away’ some much-needed funds for the charity, which supports Islanders who have a disability or long-term health condition in the workplace. JET also runs Acorn, a social enterprise in Trinity which provides work and training opportunities for people who have a disability or long-term health condition.
Kiley said she decided to join in after learning more about JET at the IoD event, specifically in relation to neurodiversity, which is a subject close to her heart: “I was impressed by the number of people that JET support in so many different areas, both at Acorn and in open employment,’ she said. ‘I am not a natural runner so walking the distance while raising money and awareness for Acorn is the perfect alternative to the marathon.”
Chris Hamon, who is Private Clients Manager at VG, will be running the Virtual London Marathon dressed as a squirrel to raise money for the Jersey Employment Trust and its social enterprise Acorn.
Chris is an ultra marathon runner but he has never run as a squirrel before.
He said: “My mum, Sue Moore, passed away three years ago but prior to this she was an integral part of the JET team. She was an outspoken advocate for believing that no matter what cards life dealt you, you should be given the same opportunities as everyone else. Probably because my brother, Matthew, has a learning disability and she saw the struggles he has been going through his entire life to be treated as an equal.
“The Jersey Employment Trust provides a comprehensive and bespoke employment and vocational training service to assist people with disabilities and long-term health conditions to achieve their employment goals.
“The training and placements that JET and Acorn provide give people like my brother a chance to integrate into a work environment. It allows them to build up people and practical skills and to be part of a team.”
You’ll be able to support Chris by finding him at Les Quennevais track on the day, Sunday 23 April, and he will be supported by his daughter who is going to set up a fundraising stall too.
