Raising the roof for the NHS and a world record
Posted by: electime 14th October 2021
For a man who was once told that he may never walk again, 46-year-old, Steve McCourt, made light work of the world’s first rooftop 10K run 150 feet above the Manchester traffic, to raise money in support of the NHS in the city: and he may have bagged himself a world record in the process!
Steve, principal commercial manager for building services engineering company, Ameon, took to the purpose-built running track on the roof of residential apartment tower block, Vox Manchester, to shout his support from the rooftop for NHS heroes in the city who saved is brother-in-law’s life with a heart transplant, and to say thank you again for the doctors and nurses who helped him get back on his feet some years ago after breaking his back in a high fall.
The former electrician, who lives in Thornton Cleveleys, Lancashire but manages Ameon’s major construction projects in Manchester, had the idea for the run (which he’s entering as a Guinness World Record), when his teams of engineers and technicians worked on the construction of the Vox development. Having viewed the running track during construction, he hatched the plan and approached the building’s management for permission, and they got involved, alongside his own employer, to bring the event to life.
To date, Steve McCourt’s heroics have generated £2,500 for the Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, which supports a family of ten hospitals across Manchester and Trafford, including the renowned Wythenshawe Hospital where, at the age of 54, his brother-in-law Gary Miles was given a new lease of life through heart transplant surgery. Steve’s fundraising total doesn’t stop there though, because Ameon have agreed to match the money already raised, thereby doubling the value and his ‘Just Giving’ page will stay live a little longer for retrospective donations.
With the challenge completed, Steve reflected: “I’ve had fantastic support for this event from my employer, the management team at Vox and members of the public, which shows how much people value our NHS, and I’m delighted to have completed it. The height could have been an issue in windy conditions but we had a calm day, so it couldn’t have been better, and the view of Manchester’s new skyline from the rooftop track was amazing!”
Vox Manchester’s general manager, Kate Howell, is delighted that the building’s unique feature could be put to use in this way. She commented: “We take this facility for granted but it is the only one of its kind in Manchester and having seen how it can be utilised to support charities through endeavours such as Steve’s, we’ll perhaps consider an annual event of this nature in which our tenants and the general public can participate.”
Manchester Foundation Trust Charity’s Senior Events Manager, Viv Williamson, added her praise for the event and said: “We’re so grateful to Steve and all the team at Ameon and Vox for their incredible support. All the money raised will enable us to fund vital treatment, research and care projects.
“We know our hospitals and their wonderful staff are held dearly in the hearts of many families, including Steve’s, and events like this one are testament to that.”
The Rooftop 10K Challenge is one of a number of charity initiatives in a programme titled ‘Ameon 25’, which has been created to celebrate the company’s 25th anniversary by generating much needed funding for charitable causes hit hardest by the pandemic.
