Streatham man to take on third London Marathon for older people in poverty

Tristan Walker-Buckton, 43, from Streatham, will be running the London Marathon on Sunday 27 April. Having run over a dozen marathons in his life, this will be his third time raising money for Independent Age, a national charity that supports older people living in financial hardship. He is one of seven people running for the charity in this year’s race. This year he is hoping to raise £2,000: https://tinyurl.com/56cjd54x

Working for Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), Tristan first heard of Independent Age through a partnership between the two organisations. He explained:

“A number of my close colleagues give some of their time with Independent Age service users and find that incredibly rewarding, and I’ve met several beneficiaries at various events. Many of us at PIC are very proud of the partnership we have with Independent Age and really recognise the valuable work that they do.”

Tristan adds an extra layer of what he calls fun, others may call difficulty, to his marathon runs by wearing a costume. Previous years he’s run as Superman, Batman and even PIC’s penguin mascot. When discussing his attitude to fundraising, Tristan said:

“Do something different! Have fun and wear a costume. I have let top sponsors pick my outfits in the past. In the years to come I think I’ll remember the fantastic time that I had and the amazing crowd support rather than the race times. Enjoy your moment and your achievement. Recognise that you are doing something rewarding – for yourself and for others.

“I’ll never stop being surprised at how generous other people are, both in their encouragement and their donations. If anyone reading this is able to contribute in any small way, it would be going to a great cause.”

Joanna Elson CBE, Chief Executive of Independent Age, said:

“Tristan’s continued and consistent efforts have been a great contribution to our efforts to support older people in financial hardship.

“We won’t stop fighting to end poverty in later life and we couldn’t do this without committed fundraisers like Tristan. From everyone at Independent Age, thank you.”

Independent Age is the national charity focused on fighting poverty in later life. Their helpline and expert advisors offer free, practical support to older people struggling with their finances. Their grants programme supports hundreds of local organisations working directly with older people across the UK. They use the knowledge and insight gained from their support services and partnerships to highlight the issues experienced by older people in poverty and campaign for change.