A Bodmin runner, her late grandad and the charity that raised him

Some people run a marathon to prove something to themselves. Gemma Wotherspoon is running one to say thank you, on behalf of a five-year-old boy who needed help nearly a lifetime ago.

A childhood shaped by Barnardo’s

Gemma is taking on the London Marathon in memory of her grandad, who recently passed away. It is a story most people who knew him never heard. When her grandad was just five years old, he was taken into the care of Barnardo’s, where he was supported for the next 13 years.

The care and the opportunities he was given in those years helped shape everything that came after. Without Barnardo’s, as Gemma puts it, his life could have looked very different. Running for the charity in his memory is her way of saying thank you, and of helping Barnardo’s keep doing the same work for vulnerable children and young people today.

Nearly halfway, and aiming higher

Gemma’s official fundraising target is £2,600, though she is quietly aiming for £3,000. Thanks to a steady run of donations she has already reached nearly £1,200, putting her almost halfway there.

Anyone who wants to donate can do so through her JustGiving page. Every donation, she says, no matter the size, moves her a step closer.

Where to support her around Bodmin

The next fortnight is a busy one, with a run of fundraising events across Bodmin and a raffle at every single one. Here is where to find her:

• Quiz Night at Bodmin Football Club, Friday, 7:00pm
• Coffee, Tea & Cake Afternoon at the Borough Arms, Saturday 8 August, 3:00pm to 5:00pm
• Coffee, Tea & Cake Morning at Weavers, Friday 14 August, 11:00am to 2:00pm
• Collection & Teddy Tombola at Asda Bodmin, Saturday 14 August, 9:30am to 2:30pm
• Bingo Night at MK Bar, Sunday 16 August, 7:30pm

Come along, buy a raffle ticket, share the post, or drop a pound in a tin. It all counts. And every quiz answer and slice of cake between now and race day is another few steps towards a start line Gemma is running for a five-year-old who once needed somewhere to belong.