Horsham charity to hold virtual balloon race fundraiser to mark Queen’s coronation anniversary

West Sussex Mediation Service (WSMS) – a recipient of the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service – will be one of many charities nationally hosting a race to raise funds on Wednesday, June 2.

The seven-day fundraiser will start on the date of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II – which took place back in 1953 – and will launch from its location at Westminster Abbey.

The event will see entrants buy virtual balloons to track their progress online, and money raised will help the registered charity maintain its free services across West Sussex as they strive to resolve conflicts in the community.

Nick Handley, the service co-ordinator for WSMS, said: “Due to the pandemic, face to face fundraising in the community has been thwarted for a considerable length of time, which has affected the income of so many good causes, like ours.

“We are currently looking to online fundraising as an alternative source of income.”

This is the second virtual balloon race WSMS has been involved with, and the charity hopes to raise £400.

The event is eco-friendly – as no actual balloons will fly over the skies above London – and to add to the fun, the balloons can be customised in terms of their shape, colour, title, helium content and latex thickness. Each balloon costs £3 and prizes include £500 cash and an Apple iPad.

Anyone supporting WSMS have a separate chance to win a £25 gift card with great odds of winning.

Tickets can be purchased at https://ecoracing.co/user/page/1668

The charity, which provides a full range of mediation service, can be contacted on 0300 200 0025 or via email at [email protected]