With thanks to Claire McBain.
On Monday, VSA, the north-east’s largest charity, announced that it has two places in the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday 26th May up for grabs. The option of a half marathon is also an option.
Athletic Aberdonians can pick which part of the charity they want to fundraise for from a selection of more than 30 VSA services that support a wide range of people which includes babies, children, adults with mental health difficulties, children with additional support needs, carers, young carers and older people.
VSA’s events co-ordinator Debbie Fotheringham, who is leading the search for competitors, said:
“At VSA we’re passionate about making sure our runners know that they can raise money for something that matters to them. Asking people to sponsor you is never easy, but if it’s for something important to you, it’s a million times easier.
“VSA is such a diverse charity. I think that, for almost every person out there, there’s a service that means something. You might want to run to raise money to send our hardworking young carers on a well-deserved trip or to buy an iPad so that our older people can Skype their overseas relatives.
“You could even run to raise money to buy a goat for VSA’s Easter Anguston Farm in Peterculter. The list is long and flexible.”
Looking back at the 2012 Edinburgh Marathon which he ran in aid of VSA, John Willis of telecommunication consultancy 9 Dots said:
“Running for VSA was a pleasure. The charity provides an incredible range of services for those in need and has been an integral part of the north-east’s third sector since the Victorian times.
“Not only does VSA play an important role for the local community but it’s one of the most cost-efficient charities in the UK – for every £1 you raise, 96p of it goes directly to helping those who need it most.
“Charity begins at home and we need to do as much as we can to support our local third sector.”
To book a place or to find out more about running for VSA at the Edinburgh Marathon, please contact Debbie Fotheringham on 01224 212021 or e-mail Debbie.fotheringham@vsa.org.uk