At around lunchtime on Tuesday 22 February 2011 a 6.3 earthquake devastated New Zealand’s second largest city, Christchurch. Being 12,000 miles from home was awful. I wanted to do something, anything. I read about some kiwi bloggers who had set up a website and were encouraging people to run 5km and donate $10. I signed up to run.

And then I thought perhaps there are other kiwis in London who would like to do this? I’m on twitter, facebook, linked in, I have some contacts; I’m a bloody project manager! Surely I could do more than just send in a tenner?

I rang Richmond Park to find out about charity runs and it snowballed from there. I just had to pick a date, choose a route through the park, pay a fee, and get public liability insurance. All done in an hour. I contacted all the kiwi publications I knew about, got in touch with friends in the Kiwi Women’s Business Network, called up a couple of friends who enjoy running and asked about charity runs that were run well. And at midnight two days later I found myself being interviewed live on Radio New Zealand. The next day NZ News UK called up. Then a couple of local papers picked up the story. GBK, a London-based, kiwi-owned burger bar emailed to say they would donate a cold Steinlarger Pure (kiwi beer!) for every runner. Friends volunteered to marshall on the day. Meanwhile the idea spread on twitter and facebook and kiwis all over the world grabbed hold of the idea: Run4Chch: a virtual 5km worldwide sponsored run wearing red and black (Christchurch colours).

Nine days after I had signed up for the run, over 150 kiwis (and two very handsome dogs) came to Richmond Park and ran, jogged, walked 5km. We were one of 110 different events worldwide and we collectively raised over $18,000 for the New Zealand Red Cross Earthquake Fund.

Without a doubt, the best project I’ve ever been part of.