Glossop friends complete challenge for cause close to their hearts

Five friends from Glossop have raised more than £1,700 for a dementia charity after jogging more than 250 miles between them.

Fiona Hall, Kay Stowell, Emma Killick, Fiona Ibberson and Wendy Smith took part in the challenge to each jog 50 miles throughout the month of November, for a worthy cause close to their hearts. 

It was set up by Dementia UK, the national charity that provides Admiral Nurses for families affected by dementia, as a way of raising vital funds – which has been made difficult this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Kay came up with the idea for the friendship group – who are all aged over 50 – to get involved and, although they couldn’t run together due to lockdown rules, they still supported each other virtually.

Some of the group have been touched by the effects of dementia, an umbrella term for a range of progressive conditions that affect the brain, within their own families and they collectively feel that it’s an area that needs more understanding and support.

Fiona Hall told the Chronicle: “The five of us and another friend run together on Sunday mornings but because of the November restrictions, we realised we could not all run together.

“Kay suggested we put our energies into this challenge as firstly, pretty much all of us have been impacted on by the effects of dementia with family members being diagnosed and secondly, we thought it would help keep us motivated through lockdown – which it did.”

Of course, living in Glossop means they had the beautiful backdrop of the gateway to the Peak District as they clocked up the miles.

“Between us on 30 November, we had completed 251 miles,” Fiona added. “Unfortunately, one member picked up an injury so we made sure our running group completed her miles for her.

“We are lucky to live in Glossop, which has some beautiful countryside around, so when we could we got out around the Longdendale Trail at Hadfield, round the Tintwistle reservoirs, up Mossy Lea and occasional trips to the Sett Valley Trail in Hayfield.

“Of course, when we had to run in the dark, we ran around the streets of Glossop.”

They set an initial target of £500 but have since more than tripled it, thanks to more than 90 kind-hearted donors.

The ladies say they have been “blown away” by the support they’ve received from people and there’s still time for you to make a donation via their JustGiving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/five-do-fifty  

Main image:

(left to right) Fiona Hall, Wendy Smith, Fiona Ibberson, Emma Killock and Kay Stowell donning their Dementia UK t-shirts.