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Veteran Glenn Parker served with the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment. After his military career was cut short in 2003 due to a serious assault, he became a Senior Personal Trainer and is now based in London. 

Glenn’s passion for fitness has led him to take on, most recently, the Everest Base Camp trek in 2017 and this year’s Big Battlefield Bike Ride in France. As an avid supporter of the Charity, Glenn makes the most of his social media channels to encourage sponsorship and donations from friends and family. He shares his top tips for success below.

Keep it currentUpdate your friends and family with photos of your personal story, training or at the event, so they feel part of the whole journey. As Glenn explains:

"I have uploaded pictures of my attendance on the Help for Heroes Pathfinder course, and my training for the events to keep everyone up to date".

Share charity newsRetweet, like and share posts from the charity, so that everyone knows why you’re fundraising and can see how their donations can help.Be directDon’t be afraid to contact people via direct message for sponsorship if you feel it’s appropriate, to make sure they haven’t missed your posts.Tell a storyIf you’re taking on an overseas challenge like the Big Battlefield Bike Ride, you could share information about your destination, too. Accounts of historic events, maps or even old family photography could all help bring your trip to life.Get creativeMost smartphones now have a good camera, so why not enlist a friend to help film you in training or even a live post at the event itself for a unique update?

Mix it upShare your posts across all your social media channels and at different times of day, so that they get seen by as many friends as possible, as Glenn suggests:

"About 20% of my posts are about the Charity or sponsorship, so it's not too much".

Glen Parker - Big Battlefield Bike Ride
Glen Parker - Big Battlefield Bike Ride - Help for Heroes