Cumbria’s Woman of the Year, Sue Kaveney, has completed the Great North Run this weekend, to raise a staggering £5959.25 for the Royal British Legion.
The race, which starts in Newcastle’s City Centre and ends in South Shields, was Carlisle-born Sue’s first half marathon, which she completed in 2 hours 48 minutes and 11 seconds.
It’s not just the miles that the self-employed HR consultant has been clocking up – the number of milestones this year has also been impressive. Taking part in her first half-marathon coincided with Sue’s 50th birthday as well as the ten-year business anniversary of her Carlisle-based consultancy, Kaveney HR Solutions Ltd. Her GNR fundraising total of £5959.25 sees her become the highest fundraiser for RBL in the Great North Run’s history.
Sue says, “When I started running almost two years ago it was after a 35-year break! My run leader asked us to think about our goals and I shared my secret longing to do a half marathon in my 50th year! When a charity place came up this year, it seemed like fate and I jumped at the chance, without really thinking how hard it would be. I’m absolutely thrilled to have completed the race – and to have raised so much money for a great cause. The atmosphere on the day was amazing and the noise of the crowd really carries you through. Thanks so much to everyone for the support – I really couldn’t have done it with you all. I’ve been bowled over by the huge generosity of friends and colleagues. It felt like the whole of Cumbria was in my corner!”
Not content with simply running in a fundraising event this year, Sue also helped to organise The Carlisle Poppy Challenge: Leg it for the Legion, a brand-new family friendly event which took place in Carlisle during July. 330 walkers and runners raised over £8000 for the British Legion Carlisle & Stanwix Branch. The event will take place again in July 2019 – save the date – Sunday 7th July 2019.
When she’s not working or running, Sue is passionate about volunteering. She is a case worker for the British Legion, has campaigned on behalf of former Gurkha Regiment soldiers to secure beds for veterans who were sleeping on floors and was a key figure at the Greystone Community Centre during the Carlisle floods. She is also a trustee at Carlisle United Community Sports Trust. Sue was recognised for her voluntary work in 2016 at CNMedia’s Spirit of Cumbria Award when she was named Volunteer of the Year and in October 2017 she was awarded the prestigious title of Cumbria’s Woman of the Year.
Sue is a Chartered Member of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) having gained her Post-Graduate Diploma in HR Management at the University of Northumbria. She has over 20 years’ multi-sector experience dealing with all aspects of HR activity. Sue launched a new website in 2017 using backdrops of her beloved home-city within the brand photography.