SCIENTISTS at Leamington’s Covid testing megalab will swap swabs for trainers as they take part in a charity fundraiser.
Colleagues at the Rosalind Franklin lab completed just their five millionth polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test this month, but have already set their sights on a new goal.
Staff members signed up for the Wright Hassall Leamington Regency 10k Run in a bid to raise some £1,000 for their personally chosen charity Flourish, which supports the mental wellbeing of girls in Leamington and Warwick aged 11-18 .
The group are no strangers to good causes, having raised £480 for homeless support charity Helping Hands at last year’s run, while continuing the fight against coronavirus, dealing with hundreds of thousands of Covid samples per week.
Gavin Roe-Pearce, Stakeholder Engagement Manager at the Lab, said, “Reaching the five million mark is incredible. A sample is someone’s life, so all staff realize the important role they play.
“Training for the race has been great for our physical and mental health, and it’s also a good team-building exercise.
“We all had a great day last time, but we’re challenging ourselves to try and beat last year’s fundraising total!”
The public lab became the UK’s first testing megalab and the largest of its kind when it opened in July.
It has around 900 staff and processed around 400,000 PCR tests a week at its peak in December.
Phil Wilding, managing partner of Leamington-based Wright Hassall, said: ‘It’s fantastic to see the Leamington team leading the way not only in the fight against Covid-19, but also helping local causes through the Regency Run once again this year. We wish them good luck for their race.
The event, which has been sponsored by the law firm every year since its inception in 2005, has raised over £400,000 for local causes over the years.
This year’s race will take place at 9am on Sunday April 10 and will be opened by Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games heavyweight boxer Lewis Williams.
Race Director Sam Tyler added: “The great thing about this event is that anyone can participate, whether you’re a team of scientists or more experienced runners looking to get another race under their belt. .
“We’ve already had 1,200 people signed up for the race this year, but there’s still plenty of time to register.”
Registration for the race costs £24 and is available until the day of the event.
Visit www.regency10k.co.uk for more information on the race and www.gofundme.com/f/rosalind-franklin-laboratory-regency-10k to donate to scientists fundraisers.
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