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Runners raise more than £12,000 for charity in annual 10k

Runners raise more than £12,000 for charity in annual 10k

Yahoo07-05-2025

Runners raise more than £12,000 for charity in annual 10k
More than 350 runners took part in the Watford 10k and Fun Runs on May Day to raise money for Watford Mencap. (Image: Watford Mencap)
More than 350 runners took part in the Watford 10k and Fun Runs on May Day to raise money for Watford Mencap.
The event, which has been running for more than 25 years and is sponsored by Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, was open to runners of all ages and abilities.
Joe Farry was the first to finish, completing the course in 39 minutes and 20 seconds.
The youngest runner was just two years old, while the oldest was 83.
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Many participants commented on the "lovely bluebells" as they ran through Whippendell Woods.
The event was supported by more than 40 marshals and spectators, with an energetic warm-up led by Kaliedescope Dance.
The event, which has been running for more than 25 years and is sponsored by Warner Bros Studios Leavesden, was open to runners of all ages and abilities. (Image: Watford Mencap)The event was attended by several local running and athletics clubs, including Watford Joggers, Watford Harriers, and Fordys Runs Running Club, as well as local Parkruns.
Every participant received a medal from mayor Peter Taylor and a team of people who use Watford Mencap's services.
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The event raised more than £12,000 for Watford Mencap, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with learning disabilities and their families.
This money will help provide vital services and make a positive difference in the lives of those who need it most.
Every participant received a medal from mayor Peter Taylor and a team of people who use Watford Mencap's services. (Image: Watford Mencap) Anyone who would like to make a donation can do so by visiting the Just Giving page.
Michelle Hamilton, fundraising manager at Watford Mencap, said: "The Watford 10k is such a special event.
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"We're grateful to all of our dedicated runners, supporters, volunteers, and sponsors.
"It was particularly lovely to have so many community partners at the event – Up on Downs, Penniwells Riding for the Disabled, Watford FC Trust, Blue Tangerine Café – all committed to inclusivity and empowerment for all.
"The local community are wonderful at helping us to raise vital funds so that we can provide personalised support for people with learning disabilities, enabling them to live the lives they want for themselves."
The youngest runner was just two years old, while the oldest was 83. (Image: Watford Mencap) The charity's next run event is the Santa Dash on Sunday, December 7.
To keep up to date about Watford Mencap's services, events, and news, email fundraising@watfordmencap.org.uk.

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Nick's Betrayal In 'The Handmaid's Tale' Proves When Push Comes To Shove, Men Will Only Help If It Serves Them
Nick's Betrayal In 'The Handmaid's Tale' Proves When Push Comes To Shove, Men Will Only Help If It Serves Them

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Nick's Betrayal In 'The Handmaid's Tale' Proves When Push Comes To Shove, Men Will Only Help If It Serves Them

This article contains spoilers for Handmaid's Tale, Season 6, Episode 6. If, like me, you've spent the last few years watching The Handmaid's Tale trying to figure out who the good guys really are, clinging to the idea that maybe, just maybe, Nick (Max Minghella) was one of them, then I hate to break it to you, but you should probably stop watching Season 6, Episode 6 before the final scene. Because, spoiler alert, in the final few minutes of the episode we finally see it: Nick might love June (Elisabeth Moss), or at least his version of love, but what he loves most is himself and his power. And he will protect that at all costs, including June. FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE The episode begins and once again, we're hopeful. Nick is helping June retrieve letters from Jezebels, could this be the moment Nick does the right thing? Is he going to Jezebel's to help? To free the girls? Can he keep her secret of the May Day plan to bring down the commanders? Will we finally see that his love for her, for Nicole, is stronger than the grip Gilead has on him? The whole episode builds on that belief. It feeds the fantasy that maybe, just maybe, he's different. That he's not like the rest of them. But as the saying goes: the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. And by the time the truth unravels, I was forced to admit it, maybe Nick isn't the man we wanted him to be. Maybe he never was. Before the truth is revealed we hear Nick tell June, 'Sometimes I think you're the only good thing in my life,' and she believes him. I believed him. We've seen how their story started. In the darkest of times, they found each other. There was that small flicker of light, a moment of joy, of normality, of freedom and for a long time, that's what Nick symbolised. Unlike the other men in Gilead, he seemed to offer something different: autonomy, kindness, risk. He had put his life on the line for June. He had protected her. 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'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 6, Episode 6 Recap: Episode 6:  A Gut-Punch Betrayal
'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 6, Episode 6 Recap: Episode 6:  A Gut-Punch Betrayal

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time3 days ago

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'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 6, Episode 6 Recap: Episode 6: A Gut-Punch Betrayal

Spoilers below. Getting into Gilead as part of a Mayday plan was easy. Getting out is what causes issues for June (Elisabeth Moss) and Moira (Samira Wiley) in the aftermath of the lockdown at Jezebel's. Crossing paths with Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) is a surprise that pays off as it turns out he also has a target on his back and can get the pair across the border before dawn. However, the letters and map detailing their plans, which are still in a Jezebel's safe, are a ticking time bomb that could sabotage their entire operation. FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE At this halfway point of the final Handmaid's Tale season, there are still plenty of twists and turns, with season 6, episode 6, 'Surprise', delivering a devastating personal blow to June. A night in New Bethlehem offers a chance for some revelatory conversations with Nick (Max Minghella) and Serena (Yvonne Strahovski), leading to an unexpected betrayal that will change June's entire outlook. 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Nick says he wants to be a family with her and Holly, and that he is no good for Rose. 'It's always been you,' Nick says. That part is genuine, but alarm bells start ringing because he is so cautious; however, between kisses, June agrees to this plan. A knock at the door from Wharton interrupts this spontaneous gesture, and they have to hide in the closet. Wharton is in a great mood as he finally shut down Jezebel's and credits 'God and my son-in-law' for providing the reason. Wharton found out about the planned massacre because Nick told him everything—or a version of the Mayday plan. June looks like she has been punched in the gut. No wonder he wanted to get on the plane to Paris as quickly as possible. It is going to be challenging for Nick to come back from a betrayal where he damned the women at Jezebel's to a likely death. We don't know the fate of these women (including Janine) but it can't be good. 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'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 6, Episode 5 Recap: June And Moria's Undercover Mission Hits Some Snags
'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 6, Episode 5 Recap: June And Moria's Undercover Mission Hits Some Snags

Elle

time30-05-2025

  • Elle

'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 6, Episode 5 Recap: June And Moria's Undercover Mission Hits Some Snags

Spoilers below. If there is one thing June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) knows on The Handmaid's Tale, it's that nothing ever goes according to plan in the fight against Gilead. But this uncertainty has made June an expert at adapting to tricky situations, which she puts into practice when the undercover mission to Jezebel's with Moira (Samira Wiley) hits major snags that require quick thinking from the pair. Given how tense it was between the best friends last week, it isn't surprising that this tension boils over in these fraught circumstances. FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE June and Moira aren't the only ones finding themselves in a tricky predicament; Nick (Max Minghella) has to clean up a mess of his own making, and Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford) isn't as popular as he thought he was. Plus, Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) receives a surprise offer that could change her entire trajectory in the final season. Getting into Jezebel's is easy. There is nothing unusual about two Marthas arriving in a delivery van (Luke is the driver), and it helps that Moira and June's faces are partially covered, which are now part of the uniform. The plan is to find Janine (Madeline Brewer), tell her about the Mayday plan to assassinate commanders in the penthouse, and then get out unnoticed. Sounds simple enough, but when they try to locate Janine, they learn that the commanders are making an unscheduled visit to Jezebel's. Rather than bail, June talks their way upstairs under the guise of making final preparations for the commanders. Time and circumstances lead to a more muted reunion, but Janine's face still lights up when she finds out a rescue and assassination plan is in motion. Janine gives June a keycard to one of the bedrooms, telling them to wait until she can slip away. Upon arriving, Commander Bell (Timothy Simons) tells the Martha pair to 'get your ugly butts out'. He also uses the spilled champagne to humiliate one of the Marthas, telling June to kneel and clean his pants. Lawrence stops this, and June purposefully turns her face away so he can't see her eyes. Yet, Lawrence has the look of recognition (but can't put his finger on why) as she walks away. June tells Moria that Lawrence's attendance is a surprise, as he 'was never a Jezebel's guy'. Maybe she doesn't know him as well as she thinks she does? Later, emotions run high when June tells Janine the plan details. Janine has letters the other women have written to their families for June to deliver. To aid their operation, Janine gives an updated map of the private elevator and the pass code. In the heat of the moment, June tells Janine to leave with them today, and someone else can coordinate with the other women. Janine says she can't 'leave without my girls' and will wait a week until Mayday comes in, guns blazing. After Janine leaves, Moira lets June know how irresponsible that was. June admits that the impulsive offer was her way of making up for her leaving Janine in Chicago. But if Janine had gone with them, security at Jezebel's would be impossible to penetrate, and the main plan would fail. June mentions how guilty she feels, leading Moira to vent her pent-up frustrations against her BFF. 'Your guilt. Your feelings. Your friends. Your trauma. You, you, you, you. Do you have any idea how fucking sick of you I am?!' This confrontation has been a long time coming, as June is always the center of everything. Moira raises multiple valid points. 'Do I get to have PTSD? Do I get to have guilt? Friends? Trauma?' Moira continues. Moira is living in a nightmare too, yet it is always about June. As they compare their horrifying experiences, the conversation starts with anger, followed by laughter, and then understanding. The mood quickly shifts once more because as Moira and June are making up, a guardian comes into the room and finds the materials Janine left behind. He locks the letters and map in a safe and will only give them back after he has raped both women. The Handmaid's Tale is at its most horrifying when it goes from memories of abuse and rape to it happening in real time. Moira fights back with June quickly joining in, and with two against one, they overpower the guardian. Moira wraps a phone cord around his neck, killing the man. But they can't get the letters and map out of the safe, and the dead body will definitely put an end to the plan. Moira quickly thinks of an alternative solution to buy them time. They wheel his body to the incinerator in the basement in the laundry, and are disposing of the remains when the guardian check-in call comes over the radio. The pair doesn't have long to get out before a complete lockdown. Unfortunately, security stops Luke (O-T Fagbenle) from making a pickup, and they have to find an alternative escape. Luckily, Lawrence is leaving in his car, and June uses her gut that he is the man she thought he was. 'Ah, hell no,' says Lawrence when she steps out in front of his car. June begs him to take her and Moira, and he relents. They get in the trunk, but don't know if he can get them out of Gilead. Are they stuck here? Perhaps Lawrence should've listened to his wife, Naomi (Ever Carradine), who said that the high commanders associate virility with power. At Jezebel's, Lawrence keeps up appearances, but still thinks his reforms are the key to power. First, he overrules Bell when it comes to Janine telling the high commander he is 'a pig' and 'no one here likes you, no one, and no one respects you.' Bell might be vile, yet he still has the ear of the other men. When Janine takes Lawrence into the adjoining bedroom, she reveals a peephole that the girls of Jezebel's use to get an idea of the men they are dealing with. Janine also tells Lawrence, 'You're not a good guy,' but he is in comparison to the other high commanders. She then makes her excuses before heading to see June and Moira. Lawrence's eyes are opened when he learns he is part of a long con to get as many people back to Gilead before they close New Bethlehem and the borders, and the country returns to its harshest practices. Lawrence will be blamed, and then Bell will want to see him on the wall. The others are hesitant about the latter, but Bell convinces them it is the way forward. Lawrence takes his glasses off in disbelief. Mayday might just have a new ally in the making. Commander Wharton (Josh Charles) checks in with Nick about the busy day in New Bethlehem, as 26 more families reunite?. The question of security comes up, and Nick says it is his highest priority, so Wharton wants to know what he is doing about the two guardians who were shot in no man's land by rebels, as it was an 'alarming breach' on Nick's watch. Nick is surprised to learn that one of the men is recovering from being shot point-blank, and tries to sound happy about it. Nick was the man who pulled the trigger (to aid June, Luke, and Moira's escape), and must keep this involvement from his father-in-law (and everyone else in Gilead). Nick visits Toby, the surviving guardian, in hospital, and is warmly greeted by Toby's mother. Though Toby has been mumbling so far, the chances of a full recovery are slim. Nick tells his mother to take a break, offering to stay with Toby. She calls Nick an angel, but little does she know the commander is the culprit. After she has gone, Toby's heart rate goes up when he sees Nick, suggesting recognition. However, he says something unrelated about his dog. Nick briefly leaves, but returns to the room as it is far too dangerous for him to leave a loose end. We don't see Nick killing Toby, but the locked door and ominous music suggest Toby will not be identifying the person who shot him. What is doing the right thing in Gilead? How can someone make up for all their wrongs? Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) continues to make a case for saving Janine and the other former handmaids from Jezebel's, turning to Serena for help. Lydia says that her girls suffered greatly in Serena's house, and Serena replies that they also suffered greatly in Lydia's house. Neither is wrong—the unifying factor in Gilead is hypocrisy. Serena thinks opening a fertility clinic in New Bethlehem could be a suitable place for former handmaids to be assigned, as fertility is a handmaid's brand (Lydia bristles at this wording, calling it a 'divine calling'). During Lydia's visit, Serena receives a giant bouquet, and Lydia wants to know if Serena is going dancing with Commander Wharton again. Serena tries to play it down, but the commander wants to see her before he goes back to Washington for work. Wharton has a big gesture planned under the guise of picking a new name for the library. A mock-up reveals his preferred choice is the 'Serena Joy & Gabriel Wharton Library'. Yep, this is a proposal, and it catches Serena off guard. She didn't come back to be a wife. Wharton reassures her he will be everything Fred was not, and she doesn't have to move or stop working. The influential high commanders want to change the world together, convincing Serena that this will be a true partnership. Wharton gets down on one knee, and Serena says yes. Like June, Lawrence, and Nick, she makes a gut decision. Will she regret returning to this path? Only time will tell. ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE. Emma Fraser is a freelance culture writer with a focus on TV, movies, and costume design. You can find her talking about all of these things on Twitter.

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