Cumbrian Officer planning ‘Challenge For Charity’
An Officer from Cumbria Constabulary is planning a big challenge this year in order to raise money for charity. Wendy Fothergill has decided that this year she will be taking part in not 1, but 3 Half Marathons! All in an effort to raise funds for Call4Backup.
Wendy has completed many challenges in the past. "I like a bit of a challenge in order to raise money for a chosen charity," said Wendy "from sky diving, to a triathlon, to swimming in a lake, to cycling 70 miles to the Yorkshire seaside, to trekking the Great Wall of China, to name but a few."
As part of her 'Challenge for Charity' this year she will be taking part in 3 Half Marathons;
● One in Cumbria, The Great Cumbrian Run on Sunday 1st October 2017
● and, of course the mighty one, The Great North Run on Sunday 10th September 17.
"I decided very early on that I wanted to support a charity involved in mental health as more and more folks who are dear to my heart have had dealings with the often 'brushed under the carpet' illnesses." Wendy explained "My chosen charity this year is 'call4backup'. This not-so well known charity supports serving employees to the police force, across the UK, who are suffering, in silence for most of them, due to PTSD and other mental health illnesses. The charity offers support, guidance, counselling and psychiatric help.
"I feel proud that I can do my very small bit to help other officers"
"The great British public don't always realise or appreciate the good job the British police do to keep our streets safe 24/7 even when there is a very rapidly dwindling amount of officers out there doing the job. They go from job to job, whether it be a domestic violence situation, harassment, a violent assault, to a missing person, to a road traffic collision, to a stabbing, to a murder...and that could be all in one shift.
"The attack in London recently just shows how great our police service is, the people who put themselves between you and the monsters, don't they deserve a little help themselves? So I say, who supports the police officers?
Who helps them deal with the situations they have seen on what may be to you a sunny Monday afternoon?
Who helps them? Call4backup does. As part of the British policing family myself I feel proud that I can do my very small bit to help other officers here in the UK."
You can support Wendy on her challenge to raise £500 for Call4Backup by sending her tweets of encouragement using the hashtag #helpfothers. You can also make donations to Wendy's cause at her Virgin Money Giving Page.