Why I’m Running the London Marathon for The Africa Centre

In April 2026, I’ll be running the London Marathon to raise £100,000 for The Africa Centre.

I’ve supported a lot of initiatives over the years, but this one feels different. It feels personal.

The Africa Centre has been part of the fabric of African and Caribbean life in the UK for more than 60 years. It was created as a space for connection between newly independent African nations and Britain, and over time it became something much bigger, a home for artists, thinkers, activists and everyday members of the diaspora. People like Desmond Tutu, Wole Soyinka, Ben Okri and Soul II Soul passed through its doors. Generations found community there.

When I think about how my own journey started, house parties in London, small community gatherings, trying to create spaces where our people could come together through music, I realise I was contributing to the same ecosystem. I was building moments. The Africa Centre has been holding space for decades.

Right now, it’s facing serious financial pressure. After everything it has given to our community, I don’t think standing by is an option.

Running 26.2 miles on 26 April 2026 isn’t something I take lightly. I’m not a professional athlete. This will require discipline, consistency and real commitment. But that feels appropriate. If we’re asking the community to show up financially and publicly, I need to show up physically.

The campaign, Run for The Africa Centre, is about more than one race. In the months leading up to the marathon, I’ll be sharing the training journey and inviting others to get involved through “Run With SMADE,” a virtual run club so people can participate wherever they are in the world. There will also be community runs in London and cultural activations to bring people together offline.

The £100,000 target will be raised through a mix of community fundraising, partnerships and brand support. My hope is that this becomes a collective effort, not just my personal challenge.

At SMADE, we often talk about infrastructure, about how culture doesn’t grow sustainably without institutions, systems and long term thinking behind it. The Africa Centre is part of that infrastructure. If we want future generations to have places to gather, learn and build, then we have to protect the spaces that already exist.

This marathon is my contribution to that responsibility.

If you’ve ever benefited from diaspora community in the UK, whether through music, conversation, art or connection, then in some way you’ve benefited from the foundations institutions like The Africa Centre laid.

I’m running because I believe it’s worth preserving.