Running for Team Ben Hammond

This post is slightly different from the usual design opinion/news we post on our blog. But Team Ben Hammond has become incredibly important to us at Vincent Design over the past few months.

And so with that in mind; I thought we’d explain what we’re doing because you’ll undoubtedly be hearing more about it, and hopefully you can get involved and support us along the way.

Deep breath…

Back in July last year, some good friends of ours lost their son Ben aged 15. He tragically died without warning, and we later found out this was caused by a coronary artery anomaly. Ben had previously been a fit, strong, determined and fun-loving lad. Who enjoyed cycling, walking, camping, scouting and he loved his part-time job on a local farm – the great outdoors was his real passion!

Obviously his family, and all us friends, were completely devastated that such an awful and shocking thing could happen. And did what we could to help them through the toughest of times initially.

The inner-strength, dignity and unbelievable bravery which Ben’s family have shown the past few months has been the most heart-breaking and awe-inspiring thing I’ve ever witnessed. Steve, Sheralyn and Archie are the most honest and lovely people we know, and everyday they do Ben really proud.

So, what are we doing?

Over recent months the Hammond family have begun to try and focus on making something positive come out of this total nightmare, and so a heart screening day at Ben’s secondary school in Tenterden, Kent has become their aim to hopefully stop another family having to go through what they have. And with this in mind, TeamBenHammond was created to raise sufficient funds to screen other kids in the local area.

As part of the team Nick (from Vincent Design) and his mate Phil obviously both wanted to do something to raise some money, and also commemorate Ben, and are incredibly proud to be running the London Marathon 2017 in memory of Ben Hammond and in aid of the charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).

CRY raises awareness of sudden cardiac death and offers support to families who have been affected by this, and run a number of regular screening clinics and mobile heart testing programmes within UK  local communities, which also contributes to medical research.

Ben was an inspirational 15 year old boy. He was much loved and is truly missed by so many people and we know he’s supporting us. We miss him every day.

How can you help us?

Quite simply we need your support! If you’d like to encourage #TeamBenHammond please donate whatever you can, and please share what we’re doing with all your friends and family to spread the word and raise awareness of this widely unknown issue killing 12 young people a week. A week!!!!

Please click here for our online giving page.

And if you’d like to follow what’s happening with the training, but also the ever-growing number of other amazing people in Kent joining in and doing other remarkable things in Ben’s name, like the South Coast Challenge in August 2017, please also go to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Thank you.