Lantern Marathon Challenge to shine the light on Marlow Bottom

The Lantern Church in the Parish of Great Marlow is bringing together people of all ages in an inspiring fundraising effort that is transforming both lives and local community spirit. 

Marathon 26 Challenge, a creative sponsored event in support of a vision for a new community and church space in Marlow Bottom, called Project Shine. 

Revd Graham Watts, Vicar of the Lantern Church in Marlow Bottom, said:

“As the Marathon 26 Challenge continues, the people of Marlow Bottom are showing what can happen when a community comes together with purpose. 

“Together, we are not just raising funds, we are building something that will truly shine.” 

The idea is simple but powerful: individuals, groups and organisations take on a challenge built around the number 26 and raise sponsorship to support the project. 

Participants have embraced the idea in wonderfully varied ways: 

• Walking 26 miles, or 26 sets of 2.6 miles 
• Creating 26 pieces of art 
• Baking and selling 26 cakes 
• Completing 26 acts of kindness 

Local groups including Brownies, Rainbows, the WI, and Burford School have all joined in, alongside many individuals from the church and wider community. 

In a battle of the Grahams, 92 year old Graham Cooper, pictured above, has cycled for 26 minutes on his exercise bike in the communal lounge of his retirement flats. He raised more than £1,000. Meanwhile, Revd Graham Watts is preparing to run 26 miles to Henley and back, adding a personal challenge to the wider effort. Watch his video ahead of his run below. 

To have a look at all the fundraising taking place or to give visit the Project Shine page on Good Hub. 

The campaign has already raised more than £7,000, with hopes of reaching £10,000 in the coming weeks. 

Graham is looking forward to celebrating everyone’s completed challenges:

“We are having a Marathon Challenge Family Fun Day on 2 May to mark the end of the challenges and to celebrate all that has been done. All those who have completed their challenges are being invited to come and receive a certificate of completion and to thank them for what they have done.” 

Beyond the fundraising, the challenge has significantly raised awareness of Project Shine across Marlow Bottom, drawing in people from all walks of life. 

What is Project Shine? 

Project Shine is an ambitious plan to create a modern, flexible and accessible community space, replacing a building that has faithfully served for 60 years but is now no longer fit for purpose. 

The need for Project Shine has become increasingly clear: 

1. A growing church community. Since the pandemic, the Lantern Church congregation has grown, with more families, children and new initiatives. Existing space is stretched, limiting the ability to offer vital support such as parenting groups, health sessions and community programmes. 
2. A shortage of local meeting space. With the closure of the Methodist Chapel and limited availability at the village hall, Marlow Bottom is facing a shortage of spaces for community groups, activities and events. 
3. An ageing building. The current church building, now over 50 years old, is no longer adequate—being cold, inaccessible, environmentally inefficient and lacking the flexibility needed for modern community use. 

Project Shine is about more than bricks and mortar. It is about creating a place where: 

• community can flourish 
• loneliness can be met with connection 
• creativity and enterprise can grow 
• faith can be lived out in practical ways 

Fundraising advice

For any churches who are also thinking about fundraising, Graham shares what has worked for them:

“It seems to have worked having one challenge: Do something challenging around the number 26. A wide variety of people and groups can interpret the challenge however they like; run, paint, bake, cycle etc. It opens up the widest possible amount of friends, families, colleagues and more that can be asked to give through sponsorship. So you are not asking the same people to sponsor all the events.”