Dunstable company praises workers who ran 145 miles in five days for charity

Best friends Dan Ashley and Ben Tye, and Agnieszka Tye, ran five consecutive marathons in five days from Birmingham to Paddington, to raise money for the charity in memory of Ruby Emily Ashley, Dan’s daughter who was born asleep at 37 weeks.

They completed the ultra-marathon on May 17, on what would have been Ruby’s 10th birthday.

Deli Kitchen, part of Signature Flatbreads, a family run bakery business in Dunstable employs both Dan and Ben, and sponsored the trio. The company supported their fundraising efforts which have raised £5,484 for Sands.

The five marathons comprised the length of the Grand Union Canal, starting in Birmingham, and finishing in Little Venice, near Paddington Station.

The trio have already beat their initial target of £5,000, they are now hosting a golf day on Friday, May 31, to reach the £7,000 mark.

Dan Ashley, Head of Commercial Finance at Signature Flatbreads, said: “Raising money to help other people is a major part of what keeps me going.

“I vowed from the day we lost Ruby that I wanted to make a difference.

“I wanted to stop this happening to other people or at least reduce the amount of times this happens.

“I also wanted to help get the people this affects - parents, families, friends - the support and care they need following the unthinkable.”

Charles Eid, Joint CEO of Signature Flatbreads, said: “We are proud to support the superheroes within our business and celebrate their commitment to and passion for giving back to such an important cause.

“As a family-run business we understand the importance of supporting what makes our company what it is, our staff, and we are proud to have such inspiring colleagues amongst us.”