Like many charities, Camp Simcha was facing a loss of income because of the postponement of the London Marathon, originally scheduled for this weekend.

To claw back some of the money that would have been raised from the event and other delayed or cancelled activities, the charity’s trustees will engage in the #TwoPointSixChallenge on Sunday, an alternative national fundraiser themed on the marathon’s 26-mile distance.

The challenge incorporates anything based around the number 26, as long as the activity is within government guidelines. It can range from running around a garden for 2.6 miles to flipping a pancake 26 times.

Camp Simcha chair Julian Taylor hopes other supporters will follow the trustees’ lead, pointing out that the charity — assisting families of children with serious illness — stood to lose more than £60,000 from sponsored events.

“The families have children in extremely vulnerable situations. Many of our parents are terrified and struggling to cope when so much of their support network has fallen away.

“We need to make sure we keep raising the funds to support them not only now but well into the future.”

He added that demand “for our hospital transport, nighttime respite care, crisis meals and therapeutic services has risen dramatically in the past month.

“The 2.6 Challenge is a fantastic idea. It really captured our imagination and we hope others will feel the same.”