Grassroots football coach Nick Smith is swapping his football boots for running trainers as he takes on this year’s Robin Hood Half Marathon to raise vital funds for Forever Stars.

Nick, 44, from Draycott, is a Mission Grassroots Coach and Youth Head Coach at Long Eaton United Football Club. He’ll be joining our 60-strong Forever Stars team on the start line, aiming to raise £500 towards our 2026 fundraising campaign, A Decade of Serenity.

Nick is certainly no stranger to long-distance running and endurance challenges. He has previously completed the London Marathon, the Great North Run three times, the Great Scottish Half Marathon, this year’s Derby Half Marathon and the Robin Hood Half Marathon a few years ago.

He has also run the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge to raise money for men’s suicide prevention charity Andy’s Man Club.

Now running three or four times a week as he prepares for the Robin Hood Half, Nick says his connection with Forever Stars began through grassroots football.

“I first heard of Forever Stars when I was coaching a youth football team my son was playing for – Long Eaton United FC. I am now the team’s Youth Head Coach and one of the things I like my grassroots team to do is to give something back by playing a part in raising awareness of things, situations and issues that people are facing every day.

“As part of this, the team and club have worked with some amazing charities, and when we had the opportunity to have our new kits designed, we all decided we wanted to have the Forever Stars name and logo featured, to help raise awareness of the charity which supports local families facing the loss of a baby.

“This has quickly moved on, and now we not only have the logo on the kits, but some friends and I are taking on various physical challenges to raise money for the charity, and the Robin Hood Half Marathon is one of these.”

For Nick, taking part isn’t only about fundraising. He also wants to help more people become aware of Forever Stars and the support available to families.

“It isn’t just about helping Forever Stars to raise money. It is as much about helping to get the Forever Stars name out into the open and making more and more people aware of the amazing work that the charity, which is run entirely by volunteers in their spare time, does, and how people can get in touch with the charity should they ever need their help and support.”

Nick will be joined on the Robin Hood Half Marathon start line by four of his friends, while he personally hopes to raise £500 for Forever Stars.

Running for A Decade of Serenity

Forever Stars is proud to be a charity partner of the Robin Hood Half and Mini Marathons for the second year in 2026, with an incredible team of 60 runners taking part.

This year is particularly significant for Forever Stars, as 2026 marks ten years since we officially opened our first bereavement Serenity Suite at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre.

Money raised by Nick and the rest of our runners will support A Decade of Serenity, our 2026 campaign to raise £50,000 towards a much-needed upgrade and refresh of the Serenity Suite at QMC and the Serenity Suite at Nottingham City Hospital, which Forever Stars funded and opened in 2017.

We’re incredibly grateful to Nick, his friends and every member of our Forever Stars running team for giving their time, energy and plenty of miles to support our work.

And we love that Nick’s support began on a grassroots football kit and has grown into something much bigger – bringing together sport, fundraising and awareness to help us continue being there for families affected by baby loss.