Catherine Robinson, Associate Director (Commercial) at Howden’s South Wales insurance office, has taken on the New York Marathon and raised £2,500 for the Joseph’s Smile charity.
The New York City Marathon is an annual 26.2 miles race that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest marathon in the world, with 59,135 finishers in 2025.
Having previously completed the London and Edinburgh marathons in support of various charities, Catherine chose to continue support for Joseph’s Smile after hearing about the vital work they do.
Joseph’s Smile provides grants to children to access lifesaving or life-changing medical treatment or equipment that is not available to them on the NHS, as well as raising awareness, support, and research for childhood cancer.
Founded in 2022 in memory of Joseph Yeandle, the charity has provided more than £165,000 in funding for children to access lifesaving or life-changing medical treatment.
Catherine visited Joseph’s Smile in Brynamman, Carmarthenshire following her completion of the New York Marathon where she presented the team with a resin “Batman’ figure to be placed at Joseph’s resting place and a framed Batman New York Times image for the Joseph’s Smile office. These gifts were extremely sentimental to the Joseph’s Smile team as Joseph loved dressing-up as the Batman character.
Catherine, originally from Neath, said:
“Running in the New York Marathon was amazing. I did it with an injury, but it was an incredible experience. The work of Joseph’s Smile is truly life-changing for families, I knew I had to use my place at the Marathon to raise money for the charity.
“These smaller, local charities are not lucky enough to have their own marathon spaces like many others, so I immediately knew that I had to run the marathon in Joseph's legacy. I urge anyone who can, to donate and help them help as many people as possible.”
Commercial Regional Manging Director at Howden, Gary Stevens, said:
“We are all unbelievably proud of Catherine for completing the New York Marathon. Her hard work and dedication in fundraising for such a fantastic cause is admirable. We are passionate about supporting important local charities, especially after speaking to Joseph’s Smile and understanding their life-changing work.”
