Some things stop you in your tracks and watching Matt O’Connor and Joe Hughes cross the finish line of a 400-mile run across Britain was one of them.
Over nine consecutive days in September 2026, Matt and Joe ran more than 400 miles (approximately 50 miles every single day) delivering Joy Jars (on behalf of NEGU) to children’s hospitals along the way before finishing their extraordinary journey by running directly into The Azaylia Foundation’s fifth anniversary celebration.
We were honoured to be at the finish line and we have not stopped thinking about it since.
What They Did
This was not a casual challenge. Matt and Joe spent two years preparing for it. Through early mornings, endless miles, injuries, sacrifices – all of it building toward nine days that, as they put it themselves, were ‘nothing compared to what the families they were running for face every single day.’
They ran because they could and for the children who cannot.
At every hospital they visited along the route, they delivered Joy Jars from Negu – because small acts of kindness designed to bring moments of happiness to children and families during some of the hardest days of their lives. And because when a child is fighting cancer and a family is living in a hospital ward, those moments matter enormously.
This was Matt and Joe’s finish line, but at five years old, The Azaylia Foundation is far from finished. They are building a legacy that will support children and families through some of the most difficult times imaginable. And that work does not stop when a run ends.
About The Azaylia Foundation
The Azaylia Foundation was established in August 2021 by Ashley Cain and Safiyya Vorajee following the death of their eight-month-old daughter, Azaylia Diamond Cain, from Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. After she passed away, Ashley set up the Foundation as a tribute to his daughter with a mission to advance early diagnosis and new treatment availability in the UK, while at the same time supporting children fighting cancer to access treatments not covered by the NHS.Â
Childhood cancer receives less than 3% of cancer research funding – a gap that exists largely because childhood cancers are still classified as rare diseases. That classification shapes funding priorities, influences research investment, and slows the development of treatments designed specifically for children.Â
The Foundation focuses on three core pillars: advancing early diagnosis and treatment, supporting families to access life-saving therapies when NHS options are exhausted, and raising awareness through its powerful community and global audience to shine a light on childhood cancer.
To date the Foundation has donated over £1.1 million towards childhood cancer research, treatment, and individual family support. Its flagship programme, the Azaylia Childhood Cancer PhD Fund, was launched in 2022 to fund the next generation of leaders in childhood cancer, with five scholarships already awarded to PhD candidates at the University of Birmingham and Oxford University.Â
This is not a small charity doing small things. It is a determined, purpose-driven organisation taking on one of the most underfunded and underrepresented causes in UK healthcare – and it is making a measurable difference.
What Has Been Raised
Across all channels the number currently stands at £10,113 and counting.Â
Every single pound of that goes directly to The Azaylia Foundation to continue its work. The GoFundMe is still open and still accepting donations. If you have not given yet and this has moved you, the link is here.Â
Matt and Joe set out to raise £10,000. That goal has been reached and surpassed, but the work the money funds has no finish line.
Why This Matters to Us
The Azaylia Foundation is our official charity partner for 2026. That decision was not made lightly and it was not made for optics.
At The Syndicate Global, our events are built around meaningful connection – between leaders, ideas, and the impact we can create when purpose aligns with influence. Partnering with The Azaylia Foundation reflects our shared belief that leadership extends beyond business. True influence is measured not only by what we build, but by what we uplift.Â
Being at that finish line, watching two people who had just run 400 miles across Britain arrive at a fifth anniversary celebration for a foundation built from the most unimaginable grief – that is a reminder of what human beings are capable of when they decide that something matters enough to act.
To Matt and Joe – what you have done is extraordinary. Thank you.
To the entire team at The Azaylia Foundation and NEGU, thank you for having us on this journey. It means more than words can say.
If you would like to donate, the GoFundMe is here: gofundme.com/f/400-miles-9-days-for-the-kids-who-cant
And if you would like to learn more about The Azaylia Foundation, the work they do and other ways to donate/support:Â theazayliafoundation.com
The Syndicate Global is proud to support The Azaylia Foundation as its official charity partner for 2026. jointhesyndicate.global