A group of Leicestershire Police officers and staff members will be taking part in the London marathon this Sunday for a host of worthy causes.
Among them are Police Constables, a team leader in call handling, Detective Superintendent and an Inspector, all of whom will be turning their attention away from crime and instead towards the mammoth running challenge.
Among those tackling the impressive 26.2 mile challenge in the capital for an impressive 14th consecutive year, is catering manager Phil Woods.
He said: “When I ran my first marathon back in 2006 I never intended to still be doing it now, but the support that I’ve received from charities ‘HemiHelp’ who are now part of ‘Contact’ since our son, George was diagnosed with Hemiplegia at the age of 22 months was, and still is so fantastic.
Hemiplegia is a neurological condition that affects one side of the body and can be seen in one in every 1,000 children.
Phil added: “I’ve said for a number of years that this will be my last one, but I think that this year it genuinely is. I’ve had a foot problem since June and have been doing everything possible to get myself fit and ready.”
While Phil is a veteran in the marathon world, for PC Rob Rollings of Keyham Lane, it will be his first ever marathon.
He said: “I’ve always fancied the challenge. I’m raising money for the Missing People charity. It seemed like a really worthy cause as it’s so close to what we as police do. Each year in the UK 80,000 children go missing and we must act fast to find them. Any support I can give to a charity that looks to make a difference seems worthwhile to me.”
Scott Linnett, from the force’s contact management department, will be following in Rob’s footsteps to raise money for the Missing People Charity.
He said: “My role as team leader in the control room means that I risk assess missing people daily, so it seemed like a worthy and logical cause to support. Families and friends often require a great deal of support in the event of such an incident and when the police can no longer offer this, then the missing people charity can take over this role.
“The training has been intense, but I haven’t missed a session so I’m looking forward to the day.”
There will also be first time marathon attempts for PC Roseanna Cockerill, PC Sharon Roscoe and PC Steve Johnson, all of whom entered the marathon in a similar fashion – on a whim!
Roseanna said: “I am by no means a runner and don’t expect to have a quick time, but I’ve been training since the beginning of the year. I’m raising money for Leicestershire charity ‘Wishes 4 Kids’, which means that not only will I be running my first ever marathon, I’ll also be doing it dressed as a purple fairy in a tutu with wings.”
Inspector Nicky Preston and Detective Superintendent Paul McKinder will be taking on their second and fourth marathons respectively.
Paul is running for the Children with Cancer charity and is aiming to beat the five hour mark for the first time ever, while Nicky is running for brain injury charity, ‘Headway’, an organisation particularly close to her heart.
She said: “A year ago my brother Simon and his wife were walking home when they were hit by a car. Simon suffered severe head injuries and was airlifted to hospital. It was an extremely scary time and we were told to prepare for the worst.
Fortunately, Simon came out the other side, but other families don’t receive such good news. Headway supports both people with brain injuries as well as their families.
“I couldn’t do a lot for Simon at the time so this is my way of doing something to pay back the great work this charity does for others.”
If you would like to support any of these worthy causes visiting their justgiving pages:
Contact Management Department: Scott Linnett, Missing People Charity
Detective Superintendent: Paul McKinder, Children with Cancer UK
Inspector: Nicky Preston, ‘Headway’
PC: Robert Rollings, Missing People Charity
PC: Roseanna Cockerill, Wishes 4 Kids
PC: Sharon Roscoe, Air Ambulance
PC: Stephen Johnson, Caudwell Children Charity
Procurement & Support Services Catering: Phil Woods, ‘Contact’
Source:: Leicestershire Police News