A Howden insurance broker has raised £2,500 for Joseph’s Smile after completing the 2025 New York City Marathon.
Catherine Robinson, associate director (commercial) at Howden’s South Wales office, ran the 26.2‑mile course in New York and presented the charity with the funds on a visit following the race. Robinson has previously completed the London and Edinburgh marathons in support of other causes and chose to back Joseph’s Smile after learning about its work supporting children with cancer.
“Running in the New York Marathon was amazing. I did it with an injury, but it was an incredible experience,” Robinson said. She added that Joseph’s Smile’s work is “truly life‑changing for families” and urged donations to help the charity continue its grants programme.
Joseph’s Smile provides grants enabling children to access medical treatment or equipment not available via the NHS, and raises awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. Founded in 2022 in memory of Joseph Yeandle, the charity has provided more than £165,000 in funding to date.
Robinson visited the charity’s base in Brynamman, Carmarthenshire after the marathon and presented a resin “Batman” figure and a framed New York Times Batman image - items the charity said were sentimental because Joseph liked to dress as the character.
Howden has supported Joseph’s Smile through other local activity this year: the South Wales team held a watch event at the Swansea.com Stadium in July, raising a further £2,500 for the charity. Gary Stevens, commercial regional managing director at Howden, said the firm was “unbelievably proud” of Robinson and described her fundraising as “admirable,” noting the company’s commitment to supporting local charities.
Employee fundraising and community partnerships are a visible element of Howden’s local engagement. Howden’s role as principal partner of the British & Irish Lions has also been cited as a channel through which the firm raises funds for local causes.
