Skip to content
All articles
  • All articles
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Fundraising
  • Green Whale
  • Kids blogs
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
Dolphin in Brazil helping with fishing illustration

Dolphins and fishermen working together

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Gray whale (eschrichtius robustus) Gray whale in Ojo de liebre lagoon Baja California.

Why we’re walking for whales to save the world

We've got enormous ambitions when it comes to fighting climate breakdown, and so two members...
Dolphins with keepers in the new Windsor Safari Park. Image: PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

Three decades on from UK’s last dolphin show, what needs to change?

The UK hasn't had captive whales and dolphins on display for 30 years, but it's...
Fishers' involvement is crucial. Image: WDC/JTF

When porpoises and people overlap

We're funding a project in Hong Kong that's working with fishing communities to help save...
Whale evolution cover

How did whales end up living in the ocean?

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Fishers chatting

Scottish fishers working with us to reduce risks to whales

Small changes to fishing gear could make a big difference to whales around Scotland, and...

Mindful conservation – why we need a new respect for nature

'We should look at whales and dolphins as the indigenous people of the seas -...
tins of whale meat

How Japan’s whaling industry is trying to convince people to eat whales

Japan's hunters kill hundreds of whales every year despite the fact that hardly anyone in...

Our lockdown home heroes

Like most charities, our fundraising events have been cancelled and, whilst we hope they’ll go ahead at a later date, the loss of income is considerable - we’re reliant on our supporters to help us continue to protect whales and dolphins wherever they need us.

So you may well have heard about the 2.6 Challenge. This inspired fundraising event was designed to help UK charities, like us, who have missed out on the funds our supporters would have raised at the London Marathon. 

What a fantastic idea I thought when it was unveiled - I’d love WDC to be part of such a brilliant initiative.

2.6_Email_600x400px

It's not too late to be a lockdown hero and raise money to help whales and dolphins!

I wrestled with the decision: should I bother our supporters, who may be struggling themselves?  But, I figured, wouldn’t some want to be part of something amazing for whales and dolphins and have at least one positive memory of lockdown?

The past couple of weeks have shown me that I really shouldn’t have doubted! I’ve been genuinely touched by the overwhelmingly positive response and lovely comments left on our JustGiving page.   Some lovely people were pleased to be able to donate £2.60 while they can't afford more at the moment; others apologised for being unable to do a physical challenge but wanted to donate £26.20 nevertheless.

Daniella fundraised with her 26 hour readathon
Daniella fundraised with her 26 hour readathon

Who knew how creative you could be using 2.6 or 26 as your inspiration?  Our young Dolphin Defenders enthusiastically came up with some themed challenges. I’ve loved hearing about them, although I’m not sure parents will have enjoyed all of them! For example: listening to 26 Christmas songs on a loop all day (Lilian) - and it was a very hot April day!  Learning the names of 26 dolphin species off by heart (Isla) , drawing 26 dolphins, 26 sit-ups in front of your favourite orca toy (Skye) and roping Mum into a garden relay with 26 marine-themed toys (Molly).  One brilliant young lady (Millie) even bounced and spun for a dizzying 26 front flips on a trampoline.

Some of the conversations I’ve had on email have brought a lump to my throat such as the NHS key worker parents working on the frontline who still supported their child in her 2.6 Challenge.

Martin and Judy cycled 2.6 miles a day
Martin and Judy cycled 2.6 miles a day
Isla learnt the names of 26 whale and dolphin species
Isla learnt the names of 26 whale and dolphin species
Ruth learnt 26 capital cities for a test
Ruth learnt 26 capital cities for a test

And it’s not only our Dolphin Defenders who wholeheartedly embraced the 2.6 Challenge: adults did yoga and squats (Rachel), ran 2.6 miles a day for 10 days  (Sophia) or cycled 2.6 miles a day (Martin & Judy) . There was Daniella’s 26-hour readathon, learning all the capital cities of the world for a 26 question test via Zoom (Ruth) and even a 26 line poem on bottlenose dolphins and WDC - some great rhyming couplets from Catherine and John.

Unable to go dolphin-spotting, Sarah, one of our lovely Shorewatch volunteers danced 26 minutes every day for 10 days and our Scottish Dolphin Centre manager, who is currently on maternity leave, had a great time with a very giggly baby Tom doing 26 ‘reverse baby curls’ - nice one Ali.

And what did I do?  Well, amazed and inspired by all the marvellous ideas on JustGiving, I racked my brains - but there was really nothing I felt I could be sponsored to do.  Aha - that’s it I thought!  Anyone who knows me well, knows that I rarely sit still and do nothing. So, for 2.6 hours on 26th April, that’s exactly what I did - absolutely nothing: no yoga, Pilates or cycling, no walking the dog, reading, knitting, talking, eating, housework (yay!), decorating or baking - nothing!  Friends and family agreed it was probably the most difficult challenge I could have set myself and they loved it.

My challenge was to do nothing for 2.6 hours!
My challenge was to do nothing for 2.6 hours!

Finally, having survived my ‘lockdown within lockdown’ as I have come to call it,  as I write thank you cards and send certificates to all our superheroes, what will I take away from the 2.6 Challenge?   Firstly, our supporters are an amazing and inspiring bunch of people; secondly, everyone can do something to help whales and dolphins.

All over the country, charities are thanking supporters for providing the help that they so desperately need now, more than ever. The coronavirus pandemic has created lots of home heroes and I am proud to count WDC’s supporters amongst them, and I salute and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Want to do your bit?

It's not too late to take the 2.6 Challenge and raise money to help whales and dolphins.

[shariff]

Keep in touch on Social Media

Leave a Comment