CHARITY FOCUS

Live Ribble Valley takes a look at the many and varied charity projects that are taking place in towns and villages across the region

FAMILY’S 1000K RUN
For charity chairman and retired supermarket director Simon Booth, fundraising is a real family affair. Simon, who has been involved with sight loss charity Galloway’s for more than 40 years, has signed up to the Great North Run Solo virtual event. But he won’t be doing it alone, as he has asked his wife Jill, and five children Beatrice, 20, Grace, 18, twins Harry and Scarlett-Tillie, both 16, and 11-year-old Arthur, to join him. Even Simon’s 91-year-old mum Mavis, who has dementia, will be walking laps around her garden and occasionally using her wheelchair. To add to their challenge, they have set themselves a combined target of 1,000km by the event deadline of 13th September.

All funds raised will go towards helping Galloway’s continue supporting blind and partially sighted people across Lancashire and Sefton. Simon, who is a retired family director of Booths supermarket, said: “Our family has been involved with Galloway’s since the beginning, as both my father and grandfather were chairmen”

“My children also actively support Galloway’s, as they have visited the centre in Penwortham and helped with activities. My two eldest daughters have also assisted during trips to the Lake District and had great fun. We have some runners in my family and they were looking for an activity to do. They found the Great North Run Solo, where participants complete 40 runs from June to September, and my wife came up with the idea of us all joining together to have a goal of running or walking 1,000km. There will be eight of us in total. Hopefully, my mum, who is 91, will be able to contribute a few kilometres.”

The family will use running app Strava to keep a log of their distance and some members will even perform one run blindfolded. The Booths family started the challenge at the end of June.

Simon added: “It will certainly push us, but hopefully we will have reached 1,000km by the deadline. Hopefully people will give generously and raise money for the best cause I can think of.”

To support Simon and his family, visit uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/TheBoothFamily1000kNorthernRun

PENDLE TO ROBIN HOOD’S BAY
In memory of Ellis Eastham, his children Lucas and Claudia, along with his good friends David Bate and Nigel Bate and Nigel’s teenage children, Otis and Lola, walked the ‘Ellis Way’ from Pendle Hill to Robin Hood’s Bay.

A total of 125 miles in seven days, they raised funds for MacMillan Cancer Support and Pendleside Hospice as well as funding a memorial bench at Barrowford Cemetery. The walk was done in seven stages starting at Barley then to Barnoldswick via Pendle Hill and Wheets Hill. The route also took in Burnsall, Pateley Bridge, Ripon, Thirsk, Helmsley then Lockton to Robin Hood’s Bay. The group was fortunate that the weather was mostly kind enabling them to complete the walk within the anticipated timescale.

Waiting to celebrate with them in Robin Hood’s Bay were Ellis’ wife Jackie, his other two children Annabelle and Ruby, his mum and dad Peter and Violet and Nigel’s wife Juliette. A go-fund me page has been set up for donations.

gofundme.com/f/xrb5a-the-ellis-way-challenge

NEW KITS
An U13’s girls’ football team has received a £500 boost from housebuilder Redrow towards a new kit. Euxton Girls FC, has over 200 members across 14 teams, including two new teams, who play in the West Lancs Girls and North Valley Leagues. The U13’s North team are the lucky ones to benefit from Redrow’s donation and will be wearing the new kit next season.

Club coach Michael Taylor says that like many grassroots teams, they have been massively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and so the sponsorship has been a huge benefit as the new season approaches: “The new kit will hopefully benefit the team for the next two years. We are very grateful to Redrow as the kits really help us to create a sense of identity for the different teams. We’ll continue to raise awareness of the club and all the achievements of the teams.”

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