Runner takes on marathon for The Salvation Army’s youth project

A Chatham runner is preparing to take on the London Marathon 2026 raising funds to support a youth-led project helping vulnerable children. 

The funds will support the Chatham Salvation Army Tweenagers, a group of young people at the church and charity in the town who have been raising money for the Matumaini School in Tanzania, which provides care and education for some of the most vulnerable children in the region. 

Christopher Boughton, a member of the congregation at The Salvation Army, Chatham, has been supporting the project for a number of years completing the Royal Parks Half Marathon in 2023 and 2024 with his son, Sam. They raised nearly £2,000 and now Chris will be taking on The London Marathon next month. He praised the young people and said he is very grateful for donations. 

Christopher said: "Every penny really does make a difference. Our Tweenagers are amazing and it’s inspiring to see young people making such a positive difference in the lives of other children around the world." 

The Matumaini School in Tanzania cares for 220 disabled children, many of whom would otherwise be left on the streets, as well as around 30 children with albinism who face danger outside the safety of the school. 

The project first began in 2016, when the Tweenagers decided they wanted to make a difference for children in other parts of the world. They chose to support Matumaini School, whose name means “Hope”. 

At the time, the school urgently needed a library and new beds, as many of the wooden beds had become rotten and unsafe. Since then, fundraising has continued. After raising an initial £10,000, a further £6,000 has helped provide new mattresses and school equipment, while the Tweenagers also handmade 220 pencil cases so every child at the school had one. Some members of the group visited the school, taking toys, games and teaching resources and meeting the children they had been supporting. 

A new generation of Tweenagers has now taken up the challenge, setting a target of £12,000 and are planning further events to reach their goal. Donations from the London Marathon 2026 challenge will help continue providing safe beds and resources for the children at Matumaini School. 

You can sponsor Christopher by going to www.justgiving.com/page/christopher-boughton-3