The 11 runners completed a 5K or 10K run to support The Winch, a charity in Swiss Cottage that set out to keep young people safe following a viscious murder 14 years ago.
The park run inspired 218 donors and raised £8,240 towards its year-round programme of after-school play and family support.
“This money helps provide safe spaces for young people,” the charity’s chief executive Rashid Iqbal said. “We’re grateful to everyone who donated.”
The Winch has been part of Camden life for more than 50 years. It began in 1972 when a group of 13 residents reclaimed and repurposed the derelict Winchester Arms pub in Winchester Road. They repaired the building from the ground up with the community’s help.
But it was the killing in 2011 of 22-year-old Milad Golmakani, who lived in Winchester Mews in Swiss Cottage, that inspired a shift in its community role.
Funds were raised to take young people to visit youth projects in New York’s notorious Harlem district to find ways to make life safe in the community back home.
Milad was stabbed in a frenzied gang attack while playing football on Kilburn’s Abbey housing estate. A teenager with him was also stabbed but survived.
Four youths were convicted at the Old Bailey of murder or attempted murder. Three 19-year-olds from Belsize Park, Chalk Farm and Enfield were jailed for 22 years each. A 17-year-old from St John’s Wood was sentenced to a minimum 19 years, later reduced on appeal.
The trial inspired the charity to work deeper in the community. It took over the Belsize library in 2012 that faced closure due to public spending cuts, turning it into “a safe community space” for youngsters to thrive whatever their circumstances. Its social workers formed long-lasting bonds with young people across Camden, helping them connect with their schools.
The charity is now appealing for public support in the run-up to Christmas on their website, ‘thewinch.org’, on how to get involved or make a donation.
