After recovering from ovarian cancer, I’m taking on the Robin Hood Half Marathon to raise money for The Children’s Bereavement Centre. As a teacher, I’ve seen firsthand the profound impact bereavement can have on children, and I wanted to support a charity that provides them with care, guidance, and hope.

The team at the Children’s Bereavement Centre do incredible work, and it’s a real honour to run on their behalf – every step is for the children and families they help every day.

I became aware of the work of the Children’s Bereavement Centre through my job, as they are our official charity partner for 2025/26. I was so impressed with what they do, and it immediately resonated with me after events late last year, when my brother-in-law passed away very suddenly after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was only 50.

He left behind my sister, my niece (16), and my nephew (14). The loss of a loved one is incredibly difficult at any time, but no one expects to have to say goodbye to their husband and dad in this way, at that age, with no warning. This has naturally left a hole in their lives that cannot be filled.

When I learned of the Children’s Bereavement Centre and the work they do, it felt right to support a charity that provides such valuable help to children following life-changing loss. I’ll be proud to complete the Robin Hood Half Marathon in support of such a wonderful cause.”

From the Children’s Bereavement Centre:

“We are delighted to welcome David to our Team CBC 2025 group of runners as he takes on the Robin Hood Half Marathon in support of the Children’s Bereavement Centre. Over the past year, the partnership between ourselves and David’s employers has continued to grow, and we are so pleased to see it reflected in their support on race day.

We look forward to cheering on David — and his fellow teammate — as they cross the finish line proudly wearing our t-shirts this Sunday!"

I’m a volunteer with Nottinghamshire Search & Rescue, a charity entirely run by dedicated volunteers. Our team is specially trained by Lowland Rescue and is on call 24/7, 365 days a year.

We are deployed on behalf of Nottinghamshire Police to assist in searches across woodland, open land, and other areas for high-risk vulnerable missing people. The charity relies solely on donations to continue its vital work!

I’m taking part in the Robin Hood Half Marathon 2025 to raise awareness of our team and fundraise for a new support vehicle. Although I had to defer my entry last year due to injury and I’m not fully race-fit, I’ll be completing the event steadily to support this incredible cause.

Keep an eye out for me in my red vest on race day.

Charley Coulson ran the 2022 Robin Hood Half Marathon with the aim of finishing the 13.1-mile distance in 2 hours and 30 minutes. She wanted to say thank you to Nottingham Hospitals for the care they gave her grandparents, and also for saving her Dad’s life three times over the past 3 years.

Charley said: “Nottingham Hospitals did everything they could when both my Grandparents were sadly diagnosed with cancer. Not only that but they’ve saved my Dad’s life three times in the past three years after he has undergone major heart and lung surgery.

“I want to honour my Dad and raise money in memory of my grandparents. I would also like to raise money in memory of my boyfriend’s Grandad, who was like a Grandad to me. I want to thank the hospitals for everything they do for thousands of patients each year.

“My Dad is doing much better now but will never truly recover from his operations so I’m doing this because he can’t. I couldn’t think of a better way to say thank you as I’ll be forever grateful for the care they provided my family and for saving my Dad’s life.

“Thank you to all the NHS staff across Nottingham. You are truly remarkable and I will always appreciate everything that you’ve ever done, not just for my family but for others too.”

Charley is just one of our incredible fundraisers who ran for Nottingham Hospitals Charity at the Robin Hood Half Marathon.

Bekki ran the Nottingham Half Marathon to raise funds for a charity my family and I set up in my son's name. The Campbell Burns Metabolic Trust was founded in May 2012 after my boy was diagnosed with a severe, life-limiting metabolic condition. Campbell was a strong little boy but sadly couldn't outrun his illness - he died at the age of 8 months in September 2012. It was, and still is incredibly hard to deal with, but the charity we set up does so much for families dealing with metabolic conditions, and we're so proud that his name is a force for good. The Trust gives grants to families to help them buy essential kitchen equipment, cover the cost of taking their child to hospital, or go on a fun family day out. 

I often think of Campbell on my long runs - I certainly thought of him at miles 11 and 12 around Nottingham, with the end of the 2019 race in sight! To be given a Golden Ticket as I crossed the finish line was, I think, a sign - to stay strong, to keep running, to keep the charity going, and to keep helping families dealing with metabolic conditions. I'm sure Team Campbell will have a presence at the Robin Hood Half for many years to come.

This year’s Robin Hood Half Marathon is the first race I have ever entered, and is something I never thought would be possible. I was in a wheelchair for 20 years from the age of 8 due to an autoimmune condition. When I recovered, I started to run. I loved it because it was something that I had never thought would be possible. Unfortunately after a few months of running I had to stop due to a chronic painful injury in both knees caused by muscle weakness as a result of my illness. The physio told me I would never be able to run, but I didn’t let that stop my dream! I worked for two years on strength training and over time I was able to start running again. I am really slow but I don’t care – I’m just so happy to be able to run!

I am running for Equation, a Nottinghamshire domestic abuse prevention charity. 1 in 4 women will experience abuse and I have been in an abusive relationship so I understand how difficult it can be to reach out for support.

Domestic abuse rates increased dramatically over lockdown so it is vital that charities such as Equation get enough support to continue helping women and men who are experiencing abuse.