Worksop runners step up the pace to help support families affected by cancer in Bassetlaw

by | 31 January 2021 | Local Charity, Worksop

A group of Worksop runners are stepping up their training schedule to prepare for a 90 mile run across the length of Hadrian’s Wall for Bassetlaw cancer charity Aurora.  The ‘Run The Wall’ runners, who have trained and fundraised locally for the past 18 months, were forced to postpone the original run date of 22nd to 26th May 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But this year, in 2021, hopes remain high that they can complete the run and smash their fundraising target of £50k to help support children and families affected by cancer in Bassetlaw.
Run The Wall 2021 is now scheduled to go ahead between 29th May and 1st June this year, with over 50 runners taking part across all or part of the Hadrian’s Wall mission.
Sarah Johnson, a PE teacher from Worksop, is the inspiration behind Run The Wall following her cancer diagnosis in 2019. Sarah and her husband Chris, along with their two daughters Lily and Summer, will use the money raised to fund facilities for children and enhance the support available for families who have been affected by cancer, from the moment of diagnosis, during treatment and beyond.
“Families and children, when confronted with a cancer diagnosis, face significant challenges and services can be limited and sometimes difficult to access,” Sarah explained. “Working with Aurora, we hope to use the money raised to offer local people bespoke support that is focused entirely on meeting children’s and families’ needs, that will help children find positive ways to deal with their emotions. We hope to develop a range of services that will include counselling and emotional support delivered through activities and play in an informal setting, also family orientated physical activities, including sport and woodland walks.”
The Run The Wall team are aiming to raise enough money to fund a Children’s Services area within the Old Library Building, Worksop that will provide a safe and friendly environment for children and families to access support. And with the redevelopment of the Old Library Building now underway, thanks to a Heritage Fund grant to deliver an ambitious plan to regenerate the Grade II listed building and engage people living with cancer and their families with heritage to support their wellbeing, the building is set to be transformed to its former glory.
Aurora provides support for anyone living with a cancer diagnosis or a long-term health condition, including family members and carers, in the Bassetlaw area. Services include support groups, workshops and counselling, beauty treatments and holistic therapies, and exercise classes, and many services are continuing throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Call 01909 470985 or visit www.aurorawellbeing.org.uk/worksop for more information.