Making a difference spurs you on in the MK Marathon

Posted 24th May 2018

Local charity Age UK Milton Keynes says a huge thank you to ten fantastic runners whose efforts on a scorching Bank Holiday Monday have raised a magnificent £3,671.38.  And for the fifth year running 38 enthusiastic Age UK Milton Keynes volunteers turned out on Monday 7th May to man the three-mile water station, providing a vital service to thousands of runners taking part on the hottest day of the year at the time.

An extra loud cheer was raised for Ana Chaplin and her team of “Runner Beans” who fielded six runners. Ana and her brother Alex were running in memory of their mother Gloria Chaplin who collapsed and died after helping at the water station at the 2017 MK Marathon. Gloria had been a tireless fundraiser and volunteer for Age UK Milton Keynes for over 25 years and her family felt the most fitting way to honour her memory was by running “ the same race again this year and running for a charity that was very close to her heart.” Ana describes her late mother as “Gloria by name, glorious by nature” and the friends and supporters wore blue t-shirts emblazoned with her face and those words.

The youngest of Age UK Milton Keynes’ fundraising runners, Andrew Bayley, was running his first ever full marathon. Catherine Oldfield, who was running a half marathon, volunteers for Age UK Milton Keynes’ Peartree Memory Club. She says that seeing at first hand the difference an afternoon of fun activities and friendly chat makes to people with dementia meant she was determined to do something to support the club. “Dementia is more common than you think and any type of stimulation we can offer is so worthwhile”, says Catherine.

For more information about Age UK Milton Keynes call 01908 550700 or visit www.ageukmiltonkeynes.org.uk.