NCO Set the Pace at London Marathon 2017

We are delighted to announce that we have our first ever charity ballot place in the Virgin Money London Marathon 2017.

Preparation. Dedication. Motivation. Focus. Resilience. Commitment.

There are many similarities between musicians and runners, and we’re delighted to be uniting the two worlds, with a little help from our friend David, who will be putting in the mileage for music: 26 miles and 385 yards to be exact.

David's daughter, Iris, is a 12 year old violinist. During 2017, Iris will be participating in the NCO for her second year.  David is taking on the London Marathon 2017 - the most famous endurance event in the world -in support of NCO’s mission to encourage, inspire and assist young musicians from the UK.

David is 48 years old and is a partner at EY, which is a leading global professional services firm, headquartered in London. David was a keen runner at school, but has allowed his training to lapse somewhat in recent years. Until he started his training for this year's London Marathon, his longest previous run was a half-marathon, which he ran when twelve years old!

David is looking forward to raising money for an excellent cause and he hopes that you will support him in this endeavor. We’ll be with him every step of the way on Sunday 23 April, but we also need your help!

There's never been a better time to support NCO.

Please help us to raise £15,000 this year to continue offering life-changing opportunities for the nation's young musicians. Our fundraising target could help to pay for 20 free places for musically gifted children who might otherwise not be able to benefit from NCO this year.

As well as an unrivalled foundation in orchestral musicianship, NCO provides the chance to form lifelong friendships and the best platform for progressing to youth and adult professional orchestras. Please help us today to support the classical music stars of tomorrow.

So, how can you get involved?

• Donate!

Please give as much or as little as you can – all donations have the power to make a difference. Seeing our fundraising total increase will give David that extra encouragement to keep pushing through the miles. If you’re eligible, please remember to tick that Gift Aid box to help us receive extra pennies, at no additional cost to you! Donate to our Virgin Money Giving campaign here.

• Collaborate on the ultimate classical running tracks playlist!

Help us to create a fist pumping orchestral playlist to accompany David when he's out training, and on the Big Day itself. Click here to place your vote, or suggest a new running track.

• Donate to win by entering our sweepstake!

After you've made your donation, send us an email to [email protected]. Simply submit your guess for David's finish time, and the closest to the actual time will win two guest tickets to an NCO concert and an invitation to join us for a special drinks reception beforehand.

• Sharing is caring!

Please help us to promote our Virgin Money Giving campaign. Tweet your friends using our special hashtag #NCOSetThePace, or share it on your Facebook page.

• Host your own fundraising event!

Bake-offs, concerts, pamper nights, office fancy dress, fun runs – the limits are endless! Host your own event for NCO’s London Marathon campaign, and ask people to donate a small amount to take part. Find the cheerleader within yourself and pep your friends, family, classmates or co-workers into finding their fundraising spirit. Go Team NCO!

Please remember that all donations given for NCO’s London Marathon Campaign should be submitted via our Virgin Money Giving campaign. Thank you for considering NCO.