City urged to get behind Jill Scott on the last leg of her Coming Home Challenge for Sport Relief

The footballing icon's incredible Coming Home Challenge will see her running and cycling all the way from Wembley, the scene of her historic 2022 Euros win with the Lionesses, on Monday 8 June to Sunderland, and finishing where it all began at the Stadium of Light, on Friday 12 June.

Sport Relief say the five day dualathon is about giving back to the communities which give people a sense of belonging, confidence and support, with Jill making her way home not just to a place, but to the people and communities that shaped her.

Her journey will take her through Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester - homes to some of the stand-out stadiums from Jill's career - with every mile of the extraordinary five day endurance test raising money for Sport Relief, which uses the power of sport to help provide safety, support and security to people when they need it most.

With an estimated arrival in Sunderland of between 4.30-5pm on Friday afternoon, Jill's route sees her running and cycling through Houghton and down the A690 Durham Road to Keel Square in the city centre, then heading across the river over Keel Crossing and through Roker, before reaching the finish line in front of the Stadium of Light.

People will be able to monitor Jill's progress as she makes her way through Sunderland and find out where she is on a live journey tracker on Jill Scott's Coming Home Challenge for Sport Relief | Comic Relief 

Speaking about the challenge, Jill Scott said: "I honestly think this is going to push me further than anything I ever did in football. I've got a dodgy knee, and a few niggly old injuries from my playing days which I need to look after, but I'm determined not to let that hold me back. It's nerve wracking when I look at some of these distances, running marathons and cycling hundreds of miles back-to-back. Just like throughout my career, I know I'm going to need a community behind me to get me across that finish line. 

"This challenge means so much to me because my journey started long before my days at Wembley. It started with people believing in me, supporting me and giving me opportunities when I needed them most. One thing football taught me is that you never get through difficult moments alone. When things get tough, it's the people around you who carry you through, and that's exactly what this challenge is about.

"If people can get behind me, donate, and cheer me on, we can do something much bigger than just getting me across a finish line. My dodgy knees and niggly injuries are nothing compared to what so many people are going through right now. Together with Sport Relief, we can help people through the toughest times - and show everyone that no matter how hard things get, no one has to face it alone."

Urging residents to turn out to welcome Jill home at the end of her epic fundraising challenge, Councillor Ciera Hudspith, Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Heritage, said: "It would be fantastic to see everyone  turning out to line the streets and cheer Jill on, on the last few miles of her epic fund-raising journey home for such a brilliant cause.

"We're immensely proud of Jill and everything she has achieved. She's not just a sporting icon but very much a Sunderland one too, who continues to give back to the place she came from and to be an inspiration to youngsters across our city who dare to dream of going on to bigger and better things."

Jill was awarded the Freedom of the City of Sunderland in March 2023 in recognition of her sporting achievements, her work as a global ambassador for her home city and for serving as an inspirational role model to young people.

Sunderland AFC CEO, Tom Burwell, said: "Everyone at Sunderland AFC is looking forward to welcoming Jill back to the Stadium of Light as she completes her remarkable Coming Home Challenge.

"Jill is one of Sunderland's most celebrated sporting figures and a fantastic ambassador for our city. Taking on a 388-mile journey from Wembley to Sunderland for Sport Relief is an incredible achievement, and we're immensely proud to see her using her platform to support such an important cause.

"We hope supporters and residents across the city will join us in giving Jill the welcome home she deserves as she reaches the finish line and celebrates what promises to be a truly inspiring accomplishment."

To find out more about Jill Scott's Coming Home Challenge, including a map and live journey tracker, and to donate to Sport Relief, visit: Jill Scott's Coming Home Challenge for Sport Relief | Comic Relief