Scotty's Little Soldiers gears up for annual fundraiser - how you can get involved
It raises vital funds to support bereaved Armed Forces children
You can help a King's Lynn charity supporting bereaved Armed Forces children.
Scotty's Little Soldiers is running its May Marathon next month - for the 5th consecutive year.
It's one of many fundraising events created by the charity and has continued to grow in popularity since its launch in 2017.
The 2020 May Marathon event hit a fundraising record for Scotty's. Despite the ongoing pandemic and lockdown restrictions being in place, Scotty's supporters and members came out in mass to take part in the 26.2-mile challenge and raised over £20,000 - over double the amount raised at the inaugural event in 2017.
Found of the charity, Nikki Scott said:
"I'm really excited about this this year's May Marathon. The support we had last year was just incredible. I was overwhelmed that at a time when people across the country were struggling with lockdown and the impact of the pandemic, they still came out and raised a staggering amount of money for Scotty's.
"I took part myself, so I know how hard it is. I hate running, but I got a real buzz from knowing what I was doing was helping bereaved children and young people. The small amount of pain I felt running was nothing compared to the pain they endure."
15-year-old Scotty member, Charlotte Durban took part in the challenge for the first time last year.
Charlotte's dad, Sergeant Gary Durban, who served in the Royal Logistics corps, died in January 2017 from Motor Neurone disease. She completed the May Marathon last year in his memory and raised over £600 for Scotty's.
She said:
"I just wanted to be able to give something back. My favourite thing about Scotty's is that we can all come together as a family."
Sisters and Scotty members, Molly, 17, Emily, 10, and Isabelle, 8, Reynolds have completed the challenge twice in the last two years, all in honour of their dad, Sergeant Antony Reynolds, who took his own life in July 2018.
The girls decided to take part in the challenge for the first time in 2019 as a way of marking their dad's birthday on May 9.
Their mum, Sarah said:
"Scotty's has done so much for the girls that they just wanted to give something back. They took part in the May Marathon last year as Antony's birthday falls in May and the girls wanted to do it in his memory.
"Antony loved running and took part in the Manchester Marathon before he died, so the girls really wanted to do something that they knew he'd love and to make him proud."
And it's not just Scotty's beneficiaries that get involved. Over the years, the May Marathon challenge has helped engage a whole host of fundraisers, many returning year on year to complete the challenge, and raising much needed funds in the process.
Last year, avid fundraiser and columnist, Jenny Beake, took to the streets dressed as Wonder Woman, all in the name of charity. Jenny completed her May Marathon challenge for the second year running and raised over £900, while turning a number of heads in the process.
Jenny said:
"Running the May Marathon again was an absolute pleasure, the work that Scotty's does is outstanding, and I will continue to support the charity where I can and help those little heroes, all while having some fun dressed as Wonder Woman, hopefully I lifted some spirits!"
And not all May Marathon challengers decide to run the distance. Scotty's supporter, Brendan Holmes, set the bar high in 2017, when he took to his challenge wearing flip flops. Not only did he complete the challenge wearing questionable footwear, but he completed an additional 74 miles taking his total mileage to 100 by the end of the month.
He said:
"I truly believe that the work Scotty's does has a huge benefit to its members. It gives the children a real sense of community and lets them know that there are people out there who care.
To register for Scotty's May Marathon challenge visit: www.maymarathon.com
To learn more about Scotty's Little Soldiers visit: scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk