North Hampshire councillor running London Marathon in aid of Mencap

A PARISH councillor is running the London Marathon in aid of disability charity Mencap.

James Mitchell, who is chairman of East Woodhay Parish Council, will be donning a vest and running shoes this Sunday to raise money for the charity, and he has already raised almost £5,000.

He has chosen Mencap as it has been a “huge help and support” to his brother, Rupert, who has Downs syndrome.

Ahead of the big day, Mr Mitchell said: “I feel very ready – I’ve done a good training plan and raised nearly £5,000 and now I’m ready to rock and roll.

“The London Marathon is one of those activities that I’ve always wanted to run, and it was good that it was delayed because it meant I could do all of the training in the summer.

“Mencap is a charity I’ve always supported, I’ve got a Downs syndrome brother and they’ve always supported him so it feels right to support them.

“Rupert has touched so many lives in a positive way and Mencap have been a huge help and support to Rupert, us, and the whole Downs community.

“It’s clearly good the event is going ahead in person, and it’s great that all the people are happy to sponsor me and it’s great that we’ve managed to raise nearly £5,000.”

To donate, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=JM_LondonMarathon2021&pageUrl=3.