A charitable trust, set up by the organisers of the London Marathon, has changed its name in the hope that it will extend its reach and impact.
The London Marathon Charitable Trust, which funds projects that encourage physical activity, was set up in 1981 by London Marathon co-founders Chris Brasher and John Disley to distribute the surplus from the annual event, which attracts thousands of runners and walkers to the capital
It has now been rebranded as the London Marathon Foundation in a move it hopes will extend its funding, reach and impact.
Over the years as the London Marathon has grown, so has the charitable trust, which has now awarded more than £98 million in grants.
The London Marathon Foundation said the rebrand marked an “exciting new chapter for the charity as it looks to the future and its ambitions to connect new groups and communities with funding, helping those who need the most support in leading active lives”.
Catherine Anderson, Executive Director at the Foundation, said: “After more than 40 years of funding thousands of projects that have inspired activity across London and the UK, now is the right time to modernise our brand to support the charity we are today and want to be.
“We’re excited for how we can inspire activity and change lives as the London Marathon Foundation, directing our funding to where it’s most needed and creating more opportunities for those who need the most help to be active.”
The foundation has launched a new website and said all other work associated with the rebrand had been done in-house to minimise costs.