DonatePublish date: 25 August 2023
'Midwife on the run' urges people to sign up for this year's Great South run
Date: 25 August 2023
A Portsmouth Hospital midwife who raised £1,700 after completing her first ever running event at last year’s Great South Run is encouraging others to move fast and sign up for 2023.
Charlotte Kemp, 36, who has worked at Queen Alexandra (QA) for three years, took on the 10-mile challenge in Portsmouth to help buy two new cots and projector lights for the hospital’s maternity department.
As part of the four person Midwives On The Run fundraising team, Charlotte, who lives in Whiteley, finished the run in 2 hours after signing up just four weeks before the 2022 event.
Deciding to join the Great South Run after hearing her midwifery colleagues discussing their Portsmouth Hospitals Charity entries, Charlotte felt inspired and said: “I had never been a runner before but agreed to this as I like a challenge and knew how much these cots would benefit female patients.”
Progressing their fundraising journey, Charlotte and colleagues Jenny Evans, Laura Davis and Samantha Maguire used social media to generate donations and explain the difference purchases would make at QA.
Charlotte added: “Thanks to our team’s fundraising, it’s great to see our donations being applied across maternity and in the labour ward.”
As for her running adventure, being a self-confessed beginner, Charlotte started with some 5k (3 mile) runs, increasing to an 8-mile training run a week before the event.
Once training was complete and the Great South Run finally arrived, Charlotte started the event with colleagues Jenny, Laura and Samantha before they each chose to run at their own pace.
Highlighting her enjoyment of the event, Charlotte said: “I was a little nervous but very excited and I really enjoyed the experience and it was easier as so many people cheered us on.
“While I’d never run before the event, I still thought it was great fun and I’d really encourage people to put on their running shoes and raise funds for such a great charity.”
If you feel inspired by Charlotte and want to sign up to run for our charity, visit https://