Local housebuilder Peter James Homes has joined Paralympian Libby Clegg MBE in supporting a running team aiming to raise £10k for The Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC).
Affectionately named ‘Wags on the Run’, the team of four runners are pounding the Nottinghamshire streets, in the run-up to the London Marathon on Sunday, April 27.
The team’s fundraising journey has already included yoga and brunch sessions as well as a charity quiz night, which was supported by British Paralympic sprinter and tandem track cyclist, Libby Clegg, who came along as guest speaker.
The team, which includes Polly Carr 26, Alicia Foulds 29, Jade South 28, and Emily Gamble 25, are all girlfriends of the players at the Nottingham Rugby Club.
Peter James Homes, which has just launched its latest site, Hemlock Gate in Bramcote, has donated £250 to the fundraiser. The firm is also a lead sponsor of Nottingham Rugby Club.
Polly Carr, 26, an events manager, said that they were motivated to fundraise for the cause after hearing a raft of incredibly inspirational stories about the resilience of the children helped by the charity.
Having previously worked for a Yorkshire children’s charity, Polly said:
“Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of the children involved, and hear some truly inspirational stories from the charity first hand."
RSBC runs a family first service, working to help provide the best possible environment for children to grow, thrive and realise their potential. The charity provides a range of programmes and activities offered by the organisation, allowing blind children to develop their confidence and independence.
Polly said:
“As a team, we wanted to help support the children and their families in any way we can to live a life without limits. To be able to fundraise for RSBC whilst doing something we love, is a real honour.”
Paralymipian Libby Clegg MBE, said:
“I know from personal experience just how important the work that charities such as The Royal Society for Blind Children are and how difficult fundraising is at the moment. What Polly and the team are doing for a cause so close to my heart is amazing and I wish them the best of luck.”
Training for the 26.2-mile race has been intense, with the ‘wags’ admitting that they had never previously run such a distance but said that they’d been kept going by their friendships and support.
Training three times a week for well over a year, the team set a massive £10k target. Each runner aims to raise £2,500 which is enough to cover 12 months of support for a family to access the full range of RSBC services.
They said: “It seemed like an impossible target when we started fundraising, but we are now £7,000 in and it seems more attainable - for some of the team, running a marathon is a life-long-dream. We are so grateful for all the support we have been given and thank Peter James Homes for their latest contribution which is edging us closer to our target.”
Polly admits that she once hated running, but after challenging herself to run the Leeds half Marathon two years ago, fell in love with the sport.
She said: “None of us have ever entered a full marathon, but we’ve all now run a 32 km practice run so we’re feeling confident.”
To sponsor the ‘Wags on Tour’ team visit Polly, Alicia, Jade and Emily’s fundraiser for Royal Society for Blind Children is fundraising for Royal Society for Blind Children
