A determined father-of-two from Stockport College will be running in the Virgin Money London Marathon next month in memory of his wife’s sister who lost her battle with leukaemia at the age of nine.
Simon Fennell will be hitting London’s gruelling 26.2 mile course on April 13 to raise money for the Anthony Nolan charity which raises money to save the lives of people with blood cancer who need a bone marrow transplant.
45 year old Simon (pictured left) works at Stockport College as an Employability Manager and has drawn up a serious and strict training programme to fit around their working hours:
“I want to raise as money as I can for the Anthony Nolan charity in memory of Claire who was only nine-years-old when she died of leukaemia. Although I’ve been on the donor register with Anthony Nolan for many years now, this is my chance to actually do something, and let’s face it – I’m not getting any younger!”
Last year Simon caught the running bug when he set himself the challenge of running the Wilmslow half marathon and raised funds for The Christie charity.
No matter what the weather’s like, wind, rain or hail Simon’s been out pounding the pavements to build up his training as the marathon is only weeks away.
“I’ve lost over two stone over the past couple of years through training and the various races that I’ve done however this is the biggest challenge; my family have been extremely supportive. I really appreciate everyone’s support and I’d like to thank everyone for any donations.”
Claire who was a pupil at Adlington Primary School was the youngest of six girls in the family. Her birthday is days away from the London marathon, so her parents and sisters are now focused on raising as much money as possible in her name, to contribute towards a lasting memorial to the little girl who at the time adored the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Simon’s wife Debbie said:
“I remember that things were all different back then. We were always outside playing as a family. Claire was a popular really friendly and bubbly little girl – she was always smiling.
“Raising money for her is our family’s way of keeping her memory alive. It’s great to be able to help the incredible work Anthony Nolan charity do.
“Claire would have been 40-years-old this year so it’s a fitting tribute to our little sister who will always live on in our memories.”
To donate to the fund, visit http://www.virginmoneygiving.com/SimonFennell
Young professionals networking group partners with Stockport County for branding breakfast seminar 
Dawn adds SEO to service 
Creative students create marketing campaign for Stockport Council