Hi, I’m Issy!

I’m running the Hackney Half and fundraising for the National Youth Arts Trust in memory of our much loved friend & pillar of the SV community, Martin Meadows-Evans.

Martin loved nothing more than making others feel safe, accepted and included. I was lucky to count him among my friends, if only for a year. He had an overwhelmingly positive impact on my life and he'll never forgotten by me or the wider Some Voices choir community.

A brilliant singer and born performer, Martin loved the arts and connecting with others through music. Through fundraising for National Youth Arts Trust, I'm hoping to help more young people experience the same joy and connection through the arts that Martin and I were grateful to have.

Anyone who knew Martin knew he loved nothing more than making sure everyone was included by buying drinks for anyone in his vicinity (beer, G&T, non-alcoholic cocktail, water - he didn't mind as long as you joined in). Buying Martin a drink was a notoriously impossible task, he'd be at there at the bar demanding your order before you could blink. Martin let me buy him a pint just once - the day I told him I'd landed a job at Beam, my dream company - and spent the next 20 minutes doing rounds of the pub proudly showing it off and telling anyone who'd listen about my new role.

Beyond that night, I'm sure I owe Martin about a hundred rounds which I'll sadly never get to repay. With this campaign I'd love to make a dent in my tab and buy Martin a massive round, with the proceeds going to NYAT to fund the next generation of arts-based communities and friendships.

So, if you have the funds spare, please do consider donating - and if, you're stuck for an amount, a pint of his favourite at The George, our weekly choir haunt, will set you back around £5.80 ❤️

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/izzy-martin-hackney-half?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=izzy-martin-hackney-half&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=0435698832eb43af92a3b2355ddcbada