Hemel Hempstead, 30 April 2025 – As Butlin’s celebrates a ‘Decade of Difference’ with Great Ormond Street Hospital, its official charity partner since 2015, one incredible Butlin’s Minehead team member completed the phenomenal challenge of the London Marathon.
With one coveted spot to represent Butlin’s up for grabs, team members from across the three resorts and the Hemel Hempstead Support office applied to take on this tough event. Corey Foster, a teen cancer survivor and one of the Minehead resort’s talented cast members, was selected to represent Butlin’s and complete the incredible challenge raising money for an incredible cause.
There’s a real connection between Corey and GOSH. At age 13, Corey was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. During this difficult time, Great Ormond Street Hospital helped with his treatment plan and gave him and his family incredible guidance.
In the lead up to the London Marathon, Corey trained for many months around the Minehead area, along the stunning coastline and pounding the pavements of Dunster village. His extraordinary training didn’t stop when he swapped the beaches of Somerset for those in Turkey when he went on holiday.
Finishing the 26.2-mile course in an incredible time of 6 hours and 18 minutes, Corey was honoured to complete the event and fundraise in aid of a charity close to his heart.
Completing the marathon wasn’t Corey’s only amazing achievement. Corey raised over £2,300 for the children’s charity, with the staggering amount going directly towards a new world-leading Children’s Cancer Centre, a unique facility which aims to improve the outcome for children with cancer.
Knowing first-hand how important the facility will be to cancer patients, Corey is proud to give back to the charity who made such a difference for him.
Corey Foster said: “I feel very honoured that I was picked out of all those who applied to run the London Marathon. Great Ormond Street Hospital is a charity I have a personal connection to, having been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia at 13. During the time my family and I needed support the most, GOSH was there to help with my treatment plan.
“Running the marathon for Great Ormond Street Hospital was important for so many reasons but knowing that my fundraising for the charity is going towards the Children’s Cancer Centre makes the challenge of the marathon worth it. As a teenage cancer survivor, I know how beneficial this facility and the services will be to patients and made me even more determined to get across the finish line.”
Corey completing the London Marathon in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital continues the incredible fundraising the Minehead resort team have already completed in 2025. From bake sales and bingo to 23-miles swimathon and a five-mile fun run, the team are getting stuck into fundraising, working to achieve Butlin’s goal of £1 million raised for Great Ormond Street Hospital by 2028.
Great Ormond Street Hospital has been Butlin’s official charity partner since 2015, however the historic partnership started decades before. Butlin’s founder, Sir Billy Butlin, donated funds to purchase the UK’s first paediatric CT scanner at the hospital back in 1977.
To find out more about the charity relationship, please visit: www.butlins.com/about-us/charity-partnership