Lauren Roberts, a media consultant at Scott Media and mum to a toddler, has raised an impressive £1,030 for The Oliver Steeper Foundation by completing the Bath Half Marathon – her first ever long distance run.
The mum, who lives in Chippenham, ran the event, on Sunday 16th March in 2 hours 45 minutes and she shared her training regime, her ups and downs on her personal TikTok for the months before the event.
It was in August 2024, that Lauren came across a Facebook post from The Oliver Steeper Foundation offering free LifeVac devices to childcare providers. Little Oliver Steeper died when he choked on pasta at a nursery in 2021. Lauren’s own son, who is two, is also called Oliver.
When she found out her son’s childminder had already signed up for one of these devices, it gave her peace of mind and sparked the motivation to do more for this small organisation.
“At the time, I wasn’t doing much exercise and felt generally a bit lost. I used to be really active before I had my son, and I wanted to find that part of myself again. I knew that signing up to run a half marathon for a charity I felt so deeply connected to would keep me focused and give me a real sense of purpose.”
The charity, founded in memory of nine-month-old Oliver Steeper, provides LifeVac anti-choking devices to childcare providers across the UK. Thanks to Lauren’s efforts, 12 additional devices will now be distributed to nurseries, preschools, and childminders – potentially saving lives in emergencies where first aid alone isn’t enough.
Lauren was also inspired to support the foundation after a personal choking tragedy and a powerful connection to its mission.
“In 2020, my husband and I lost our five-month-old English bulldog to a choking incident. I had to perform CPR on him myself, and despite my efforts, he didn’t make it. The trauma from that experience stayed with me, and when I became a parent, it became my biggest fear – especially during weaning,” Lauren explained.
She initially set a target of raising £600 but went well beyond it, ending with a total of £1,030. What shocked Lauren most throughout her journey was just how few people are aware of anti-choking devices like LifeVac — or how often basic first aid isn’t enough.
“I know the power of social media in spreading messages that matter. I shared my training journey and the story behind it across my media channels and the response was overwhelming. I connected with so many other parents who had the same fears or had experienced similar incidents”.
Lewis Steeper, founder of The Oliver Steeper Foundation, said “When Lauren approached us with the idea of participating in the Bath Half Marathon, we were deeply appreciative of her initiative. From the outset, we had the privilege of following her journey through the rigorous preparation process, and her dedication to training was truly remarkable.
“On race day, we eagerly tracked her progress through the live tracker, feeling an immense sense of pride in her achievement. Thanks to her efforts, Lauren raised an impressive £1,030 – a contribution that will enable our charity to provide 12 additional LifeVac anti-choking devices to nurseries, preschools and childminders across the UK.”
If you’d like to donate, visit: https://bathhalf2025.enthuse.com/pf/lauren-roberts
Article from Scott Media
