by Alfie Linville-Sibley, Journalism student
Dozens of runners trailed through Leicester city centre this weekend to raise money in memory of a much-loved De Montfort University (DMU) alumnus.
Participants in the second annual Run for Redfern arrived at the steps of the DMU’s Campus Centre, having covered the 5K distance from the starting point of Victoria Park.
The event was held in memory of Adam Redfern, a DMU graduate and former member of the university’s communications team, who died, aged 28, of a sudden heart attack while out jogging in March 2021.
After his death, his parents, Ian and Christine Redfern, set up the Adam Redfern Memorial Fund, providing a scholarship for media students and helping to improve awareness of heart safety on campus at DMU.
At the steps, the air was filled with cheers and applause as runners crossed the finish line, blazing red in their Run for Redfern tees.
Students, student societies, staff, and Adam’s friends all participated in the race covering Victoria Park to New Walk to the DSU building. Starting at 11am all the runners were over the line by 12pm.
After the race, Adam's parents, Christine, and Ian Redfern gave a short speech to the runners in the DSU in front of a picture of Adam.
“We wanted to give everybody a chance to run and remember Adam this year, and seeing this growth in just one year is amazing,” Ian said.
“It was a big job to organise this, between the council and the staff at the union and De Montfort everybody involved was fantastic. Hopefully, we’ll see you all again next March for an even bigger Run for Redfern.”
The first Run for Redfern was held in 2022, with eight of Adam's friends running on a sponsorship basis. Between them, they raised just under £4000 for the memorial fund.
Elgan Hughes, one of those original eight and a former member of De Montfort Students’ Union (DSU), said: “Seeing so many students sat in the union on a cold Sunday morning like this is amazing.
“After last year we realised Adam deserved something bigger to remember him, so we decided to open it up to everyone this year.
“Hopefully next year everyone that’s here today will bring a friend along, and then the same will happen the year after, that’s the ultimate goal.”
The memorial fund keeps Adam's memory alive by creating opportunities for students through a media scholarship, allowing third-year students the chance to pursue their passions tuition free.
Adam was himself a Journalism (BA) graduate who went on to work as part of DSU.
Christine Redfern said: “The first scholarship has gone out this year to a film student, and seeing what she’s doing with the opportunity is amazing.”
The memorial foundation is also aiming to fund the installation and related training for on-campus defibrillators to make DMU ‘heart safe’ and raise awareness for SADS, (sudden arrhythmic death syndrome), when someone dies following an unexplained cardiac arrest.
Richard Bowden, a competitor in the race and Head of Graduate Careers and Success at DMU, said: “Adam was always looking for opportunities to support students. He made lots of DSU roles paid so students would be more rewarded and the DSU would be better staffed.”
Posted on Tuesday 7 March 2023