Steel City athletes hitting the road for Village Aid

As athletes hone their training for the Sheffield Half Marathon in April Crosspool runner Tom Harman is urging them to consider Village Aid charity for their fundraising plans too.
Tom Harman (left) and Annie Hinton on a runTom Harman (left) and Annie Hinton on a run
Tom Harman (left) and Annie Hinton on a run

He described Village Aid as a fantastic charity and said the work they had done over the last 30 years had been crucial in changing peoples lives for the better in communities less fortunate.

He added: 'Running the Half Marathon for this home-grown charity gives people like me a great opportunity to really make a difference in the world.'

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The Bakewell-based charity offers people from UK villages the chance to support rural communities in West Africa and is hoping to enlist 30 people to run the Sheffield Half in aid of the charity which, along with parent charity United Purpose, helped four million people last year.

Village Aid trains farmers with business and marketing skills, and provides small loans to help people set up their own businesses. The charity also helps set up clean water programmes and promotes advocacy training to help reduce conflict.

Charity worker Annie Hinton said having thirty people running for Village Aid through Sheffield would celebrate Village Aid's work on its thirtieth birthday, after being set up in 1989 by Bakewell student Andrew Kingman.

'We think it would be a great way to raise awareness about the organisation and to encourage people to get involved in the work we're doing,' she said.

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Annie has run half marathons in five countries already, and is aiming to raise £300 herself from donations. She added: 'Even £50 could support a woman in rural Ghana to receive business training, and a small loan to start her business.'