Dr Emma Egging, founder of youth charity the Jon Egging Trust (JET), will take part in the AJ Bell Great South Run 2025 to raise awareness and support for the charity’s life-changing work with young people across Hampshire and beyond.
This year’s event celebrates 35 Years of Greatness, and for Emma, there’s no shortage of inspiration: “The young people we support at JET are an incredible source of motivation for me. Many of them are overcoming huge challenges with the support of our programmes. Seeing their progress and confidence grow reminds me why we do what we do and it gives me the drive to push myself too.”
JET was established in 2012 to honour the legacy of Flight Lieutenant Jon Egging, who lost his life following an air display with the Red Arrows at the Bournemouth Air Festival in 2011. He was passionate about using aviation and STEM as a springboard to inspire and support young people to reach their full potential.
Joining Emma on the day will be Jon’s sister, Abi Egging, a long-standing supporter of the charity and its work with young people.
The charity now works with thousands of young people across the country and JET’s values of resilience, growth and stepping outside your comfort zone are mirrored in the challenge of the Great South Run itself, which is something Emma believes is key for both runners and young people supported by JET: “Events like this are about showing that we’re all capable of more than we think. It’s the same message we share with our young people: you can achieve incredible things with the right support around you.”
With hundreds of young people benefiting from JET’s programmes every year in Hampshire alone, Emma hopes the event will not only raise vital funds, but also increase awareness of the charity’s work: “This run is a celebration of how far we’ve come as a charity, and a reminder that together, we can help the next generation build brighter, more confident futures.”