Brave runners take on London Landmarks Half Marathon
Published Date: 27 Mar 201920 supporters ran for the National Deaf Children’s Society in the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday 24th March.
The charity, which supports the UK’s 50,000 deaf children, will benefit to the tune of £8,000 thanks to the fundraising efforts of the group.
The intrepid runners followed a 13-mile course around some of London’s most iconic landmarks, including the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and the Tower of London, and were spurred on by staff and supporters at the charity’s Temple cheer point.
The runners came from many different backgrounds and ran for many different reasons, but common to all of them was the support they received – and continue to receive - from the National Deaf Children’s Society. We asked some of them to share their stories and the reasons they were running for the charity.
Ingrid Herholdt of Meopham, Kent, is the mother of Callum, four, who was born with hearing loss. Ingrid said:
“The National Deaf Children’s Society is one of the charities that have given so freely of their time and expertise to help us to get Callum the right support at the right time. It was on my heart to say thank you to them in more ways than just words. I love running and what better way to raise money than doing what I love for the little boy I love.”
Louis Dewar, 20, of Winchester, is deaf and has benefitted from the support of the National Deaf Children’s Society for many years. Louis said:
“The National Deaf Children’s Society is a fantastic charity that helps deaf children. They have supported me and my family for 17 years. I’m not sure I’d be where I am now, studying in Brighton and living life to the full, without them.”
Gemma Walton of Merton, London, had undiagnosed hearing loss as a child. Gemma said:
“I had never run a half marathon or even run 5k before last summer, so I had a big challenge ahead of me, but I’m very happy I saw it through. The National Deaf Children's Society makes a huge impact on children's lives, so it’s great to be able to support such an amazing cause.”
Richard Stone of Reading is the father of Vinnie, three, who has hearing loss. Richard said:
“The charity is very close to our hearts because they fund local support for children like our little Vinnie. He was born with fluctuating hearing loss and his journey has been full of highs and lows, but we are extremely proud of the confident, energetic little lad Vinnie has become, due to the help and support of the National Deaf Children’s Society.”
John Larkin, of the National Deaf Children’s Society’s Events Fundraising Team, said:
“I want to say a huge thank you to all of our wonderful runners in this event. It’s through selfless supporters like these that we are able to keep on doing what we do, supporting deaf children and their families across the UK, now and into the future.”