Barnet’s New Sports Manager Lara Bone to Take on London Marathon for St John’s Ambulance

When New Barnet sports manager Lara Bone lines up for the London Marathon later this month, she’ll be running for far more than a personal best. The local fitness professional is taking on the 26.2-mile challenge to raise vital funds for St John’s Ambulance, the first aid charity whose volunteers are a familiar sight at major events across the capital. Her effort, backed by the New Barnet community and colleagues, underlines the growing role of grassroots sport in supporting frontline health and emergency services.

Profile of Lara Bone the New Barnet sports manager taking on the London Marathon for St Johns Ambulance

Lara Bone, a long-time Barnet resident and newly appointed sports manager at New Barnet Leisure Centre, is known by colleagues for her meticulous planning, early-morning poolside briefings and a knack for turning hesitant gym-goers into confident regulars.A former county-level middle-distance runner who took a long break from competitive sport while building her career, she has recently rediscovered endurance training through community running groups in North London.Those who train under her describe a coach who is “calm under pressure, but relentless about getting the details right” – qualities she now brings to the challenge of 26.2 miles through the capital. Off the track, she juggles rota planning, staff mentoring and facility progress, carving out training time on dark winter evenings along the Pymmes Brook Trail.

Motivated by a desire to support the volunteers who so often staff the touchlines of local fixtures, she chose to run in aid of St John’s Ambulance, a charity she encounters regularly at community sports events across Barnet.Her marathon build-up mirrors the structured programmes she creates for others,focusing on gradual mileage increases,cross-training and recovery. Key elements of her approach include:

• Community focus: encouraging local residents to join her for shorter training runs.
• Health-first coaching: using her role to highlight injury prevention and safe progression.
• Charity visibility: showcasing the work of St John’s Ambulance in local clubs and schools.

How community sport in New Barnet is driving fundraising and awareness for lifesaving first aid

On parks and pitches across New Barnet,weekends now double as training sessions and mini fundraising drives,with Lara weaving her London Marathon preparations into local fixtures. Junior football squads have introduced half-time skills challenges where parents donate spare change, netball teams are hosting pop-up cake stalls, and walking groups are turning regular routes into sponsored mileage trackers that mirror Lara’s own training log.These grassroots efforts are not only boosting her total for St John’s Ambulance, they are also turning touchlines into informal classrooms where coaches and volunteers highlight the importance of knowing how to react in an emergency.

Clubs are beginning to embed basic first aid awareness into their weekly schedules, using Lara’s marathon bid as a focal point for discussion and action. Short pre-match talks now cover where the nearest defibrillator is located, who holds a first aid certificate, and how to recognize the signs of cardiac arrest or concussion. Some sessions are supported by St John’s Ambulance volunteers, who run swift demonstrations alongside regular training. This growing integration of sport and safety is reflected in simple, practical initiatives:

• Displaying emergency contact plans on clubhouse noticeboards
• Promoting short first aid courses to parents and young players
• Organising themed match days dedicated to fundraising for lifesaving training

Inside Lara Bones marathon training plan and practical tips for balancing work charity and endurance sport

Bone’s marathon build-up is sketched into her diary with the precision of a fixture list. Weekday mornings begin before sunrise with interval sessions on the quiet streets around New Barnet,followed by a brisk commute and a full day managing local sports programmes. Evenings are reserved for lighter recovery runs, stretching and planning community fundraising events for St John’s Ambulance. Weekends are dominated by long runs of up to 20 miles, often looping past familiar parks and school pitches, where she says visual reminders of her day job keep her motivated. “I picture the volunteers on duty at big events, the first-aiders on the touchline – that’s who I’m running for,” she explains.

• Time-blocking: training sessions scheduled like meetings, non‑negotiable but realistic.
• Micro-rest: 10-minute breaks for walking and stretching between calls and emails.
• Fuel on the go: simple, portable snacks to bridge the gap between office hours and evening runs.
• Charity-first mindset: using every mile as a talking point to raise awareness and donations.

How Barnet residents can support the St Johns Ambulance campaign from sponsorship to volunteering

Barnet residents have a unique chance to turn Lara Bone’s London Marathon debut into a borough-wide show of solidarity for St John’s Ambulance. Local people can amplify her fundraising by setting up workplace collections, organising charity five-a-side tournaments at community centres, or hosting school “mini-marathons” where pupils run laps in exchange for small donations. High street businesses can get involved by offering till-point giving, matching staff fundraising, or pledging a percentage of one day’s takings. Simple everyday actions also matter: sharing Lara’s fundraising page on neighbourhood WhatsApp groups, featuring her story in residents’ association newsletters, or inviting her to speak at faith and community gatherings can rapidly build momentum and donations.

Beyond financial backing, the campaign is a gateway for residents to step into vital frontline and behind-the-scenes roles with St John’s Ambulance. Barnet locals can join as event first aiders, help with youth cadet units, or offer specialist skills in areas such as IT, logistics or communications. To make it easier to choose how to help, residents can use the options below as a starting point:

• Volunteer at events: Support medical teams at local sports fixtures and festivals.
• Skill-based volunteering: Offer marketing, design, admin or fundraising expertise.
• Community connectors: Link St John’s with schools, clubs and faith groups.
• Local sponsorship champions: Encourage employers and traders to back Lara’s run.

In Retrospect

As race day approaches, Bone’s focus remains firmly on the dual goals of crossing the finish line and raising vital funds for the charity she serves. For St John’s Ambulance,her marathon effort is more than a personal challenge; it is indeed a public reminder of the organisation’s frontline role at major events and in local communities alike.

Residents who wish to support her run can donate via her fundraising page or follow updates from New Barnet Leisure Centre in the lead‑up to the marathon. Whatever her finishing time on the streets of London, Bone’s efforts are already helping to keep lifesaving services running in Barnet and beyond.