Hammersmith Chess Club takes on the Vitality London 10K
There is Chess960 and Bughouse, chess boxing and even underwater chess. And now, for one day at least, there will also be Hammersmith Chess Club on the streets of central London.
This year, a team from the club will be taking part in the Vitality London 10,000: the capital’s only 10K race to finish outside Buckingham Palace.
Why does a chess club belong in a running event? Because the Vitality London 10,000 is about much more than running. It celebrates mental and physical wellbeing, and promoting chess as a healthy recreational activity for the wider London community is one of Hammersmith Chess Club’s charitable purposes.
Having been awarded charitable status earlier this year, we are determined to take chess beyond our regular club nights and reach more people across the community.
We have already made an excellent start. Last weekend, we moved chess out of the Mindsports Centre and onto the river for our first Chess on the Thames tournament at Fulham Pier. The event attracted enthusiastic praise from players and visitors alike.
But that was only the beginning. We want to do much more.
Running to raise funds
Taking part in the Vitality London 10K will be great fun: a chance for club members to run together, support one another and represent Hammersmith on one of London’s most memorable routes.
It is also an opportunity to raise money for the club’s charitable work.
Membership subscriptions finance our regular activities, which are open to all members. We are fortunate to have a wonderful group of volunteers who give their time and energy to make those activities possible.
Additional donations allow us to go further: organising more community events, introducing more people to chess and extending our activities beyond the regular club programme.
So in that spirit, the money our runners raise will go towards our booming Monday evening “Beginners Hour”. Our long term aim is to fund a professional coach for this great initiative.
Making donations go further with Gift Aid
If you are a UK taxpayer, Gift Aid can increase the value of an eligible donation by 25% at no additional cost to you. For every £10 donated, Hammersmith Chess Club can claim a further £2.50 from HMRC.
Members can make a Gift Aid declaration through the club’s online membership form. A standard Gift Aid declaration is also available on our website, while donations to fundraising events such as the Vitality London 10K can usually be Gift Aided directly through the fundraising platform.
We are enormously grateful for every donation, and, wherever possible, for the additional 25% that Gift Aid allows us to claim.
So please support our runners, help us spread the word and join us as Hammersmith Chess Club takes to the streets of London.