By Molly Lee
A second ‘Run for Redfern’ in memory of De Montfort University (DMU) graduate and staff member Adam Redfern will be taking place on Sunday (MARCH5) to raise money for charity.
The 5km fundraiser run will begin at 11am in Victoria Park in Leicester and will finish at the Students’ Union (DSU) building on the DMU campus.
All money raised by the run will go towards the Adam Redfern Memorial Fund which was established after Adam’s died following a cardiac arrest.
The fund strives to give students with a passion for media, journalism and sports opportunities to improve their future careers.
Adam was a well-loved member of the DMU community, both as a student, a DSU Executive Officer and later as an employee working for the university’s communications team.
Elgan Hughes, Head of Membership Services at DMU, said: “I had the honour of calling him a friend. Adam had a huge passion for making a positive difference and he always put others and students before himself.”
Family, friends and colleagues of Adam hope that his legacy will carry on through DMU in the years to come, especially with the university’s initiative to become a Heart Safe Campus.
Paul Hindle, Associate Director of Communications at DMU, and a close colleague of Adam, said: “The real success would be that long after I’ve left DMU and all of the people who knew Adam have left DMU, the prizes and the scholarships under his name are still going strong. Certainly, as far as his colleagues go, we will never forget him.”
Since Adam’s passing, DMU has increased publicity about the location of defibrillators on campus and how to use them.
Ian and Christine Redfern, Adam’s parents, said: “The sudden and unexpected nature of his passing left a huge hole in our lives.”
They added: “For obvious reasons, shining a light on cardiac risk in young adults is something very close to our own hearts.”
The fundraiser run and the memorial fund have had huge successes since their establishment and organisers hope to continue Adam’s legacy for future generations of DMU students.
Places for the event can be booked via the DSU website here: https://events.demontfortsu.com/event/run-for-redfern-5k-charity-run/80505 with an entry fee of £5.
