Group of Weymouth friends to run half marathon for Dorset Mind
The boys came up with the fundraising idea at the beginning of January when the gyms were forced to close
Last updated 2nd Feb 2021
A group of 10 friends from Weymouth are running a half marathon to raise money for Dorset Mind.
They started running in the new year after the gyms were forced to close after Boris Johnson put a third national lockdown in place on January 4th.
The group wanted to find a new way of staying active, which gave them something to work towards but also raised awareness for a good cause.
That’s when one of the boys, Aidan, came up with the idea of doing a fundraiser for Dorset Mind.
Tom Dalkins said choosing the charity was an easy decision to make: "We wanted to do something around the topic of mental health because of the impact Covid has had on everyone's mental state.
"We've been stripped of social interaction, some people have lost their jobs, we can't go to the gym, that's just a few things to name of many to be honest. Mental health doesn't get the attention it deserves.
“It’s important to raise awareness by doing something that helps us and raises awareness for a local charity who do great things and provide information on steps to recovery, support groups and so much more.”
WHO'S TAKING PART?
Running in the half marathon is Tom Dalkins, Piers Luckhurst, Connor Stacey, Aaron Fryer, Aidan Terry, Dylan Riley, Harry Reynolds, Jack Warwick, George Leslie and Matt Leake.
The Half Marathon is planned for the 24th of April 2021 and the group are hoping restrictions may have eased by then.
TRAINING
At the moment, due to Covid restrictions, the group are training by themselves and tracking their progress through running apps and fitness watches.
Tom says they’re hoping they can train together at some point in the near future because it’s a team effort.
“It would be good if the restrictions allow us to run as one big group, but if not then we will have to set off in different groups depending on what the rules are at the time.
“If there is a full lockdown then we will have to reschedule but we hope that’s not the case.”
FUNDRAISING
The group has so far raised more than ÂŁ1,700, after hitting their original target of ÂŁ1,000 in just a few days.
“We just want to thank everyone for the donations they’ve already made. Any donation, big or small, would be highly appreciated and it could go a long way - ourselves and Dorset Mind would be extremely thankful.”