LOCAL grandfather Gary Strangwood took on the Brighton Marathon this month in aid of Frome Birth Talk, a charity close to his family’s heart.
Gary, whose daughter used Frome Birth Talk’s free counselling service after the birth of her baby, ran the marathon to raise vital funds to provide mental health support for new parents in the local area.
The money will also help fund the continuation of Frome Birth Talk’s three drop-in support groups, including their new Baby Loss Support Group.
“Running the marathon was a difficult journey to a joyous result for me,” says Gary, who finished with a time of just over four and a half hours. “The good people supporting all the runners on the course on the day helped me through, as did the thought that the money I was raising might help someone through a difficult journey to a joyous ending of their own with the help and support of Frome Birth Talk.”
The charity’s director, Suzy Cristinacce, explained what Gary’s challenging feat meant to Frome Birth Talk. She said, “It’s always wonderful when someone is generous enough to fundraise for us, but it’s even more touching when they go the extra mile – and Gary gave us 26 of them! We know what a huge impact good mental health support can have in early parenthood, and Gary’s story just goes to show that the benefits ripple through entire families and across generations. Supporting parents benefits everyone, including grandparents.”
Gary has raised £500 for Frome Birth Talk so far and his localgiving page is still open for anyone who wishes to contribute to the total https://localgiving.org/fundraising/my-first-and-hopefully-my-last/