May Matt continue to inspire us all

Matt Campbell, the talented chef who was running the London Marathon in memory of his father, tragically passed away after collapsing at the 22.5-mile mark last Sunday.

He was raising money for the Brathay Trust, which improves the life chances of children and young people by encouraging them to

engage positively in their communities. His father, Martin, worked tirelessly for the trust until his sudden death 18 months ago.

There is, of course, an awful irony about this. But the way that Matt’s friends, and the running community, have rallied round in the last week is a shining example of the Brathay Trust’s values in action.

Strangers have flooded his Justgiving page – at the time of going to press, over £200,000 had been donated to the Trust. All week, people have been running 3.7 miles for Matt, finishing the marathon course for him and donating £5 in the process.

Tomorrow, there are a number of group runs that have been

organised in his memory: one, set up by Project Run, is meeting at 10.30am outside Eat at the Tower of London, and one organised by his friends and fellow Masterfchef contestants, Jamie Park and Tom Peters, is leaving Shadwell station at 2pm.

“We know that everyone has the capacity to do extraordinary things that can inspire and benefit others,” says the Brathay Trust’s website. Matt Campbell is the ultimate example of that. May his desire to help others continue to inspire us for many years to come.