A FORMER Farnham woman will be running the London marathon to raise money for Disability Challengers, the Farnham-based charity for disabled children and young people.

Phoebe Gardiner, 27, will run the famous 26.2 mile course on April 24. Currently living in south London, near the start of the race, she has lived and worked in Farnham for 25 years and still considers Farnham as her home town.

She said: “When I lived in Farnham I worked at the James Hockey & Foyer Galleries at UCA, and organised some workshops with Challengers. I took exhibiting artists into both the Farnham and Guildford play centres to create artworks with the children there.

“It was incredible to see the work the charity does, not just for the young people who attend, but for their parents and carers who know the fantastic care and enjoyment their children will get. I was totally inspired by the Challengers volunteers and am so glad I can help them by running the marathon.”

As part of her fundraising efforts, Phoebe went along to the Farnham Maltings Monthly Market earlier this month, selling handmade drawings, watercolours and crafts with 100 per cent of proceeds going to her fundraising target of £1,750.

Phoebe is training to run the marathon in less than four hours, a good amateur time. “I’m a little nervous about the big day, but I know there will be so much support around the route that it will keep me going. It will be amazing to run the final miles past Buckingham Palace and down The Mall” .

Challengers is a registered children’s charity, established in 1979, dedicated to providing exciting and challenging play and leisure opportunities for disabled children and young people.

It does this through play and youth centres in Guilford and Farnham and through a range of community based projects across Surrey and the surrounding areas.

A significant benefit of its service is that it provides families with short-breaks during high pressure times, for example at the weekend or during the school holidays, enabling them to do ‘ordinary’ activities such as shopping or spending time with their other children. Families have reported that this lifeline of support keeps them strong

To help Phoebe visit her online at www.justgiving.com/pheebsgeebs.