Kirkcudbright woman to run London Marathon for cause close to her heart
A Kirkcudbright woman is running this weekend's London Marathon for a cause close to her heart. Rebecca Jackson will be tackling the famous 26.2 mile race on Sunday. And Rebecca, whose parents LJ and Simon run The Masonic Arms in Kirkcudbright, is aiming to raise thousands of pounds for the MS Society. She said: 'I thought if I was going to do it, I'd do it for charity. 'Mum was diagnosed seven years ago so I'm just trying to raise awareness and spark up the conversation. 'I've not done a marathon before but my training has been going well. 'It's good for the mind and I've been enjoying it. Click here for more news and sport from Dumfries and Galloway. 'We'll see at the end of it if I want to do another one.' Rebecca set herself a £2,000 fundraising target but had already broken that a few weeks ahead of the race. She added: 'It's amazing. It's quite overwhelming how generous people have been and I'm very grateful for it.' To sponsor Rebecca, visit here .
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Dumfries tennis centre on course to open this year
A new indoor tennis centre in Dumfries is on course to open later this Transforming Scottish Indoor Tennis (TSIT) project at the King George V sports complex has reached the halfway stage in its began in February on the three-court centre which will open towards the end of the is part of nationwide efforts to boost participation and will provide year-round access to tennis for players across Dumfries and Galloway. The £2.3m project is described as an important landmark in the ongoing efforts to improve access to the sport across will be the third indoor tennis centre built recently following sites in Edinburgh and Johnstone, who chairs Dumfries and Galloway Council's community wellbeing committee, said: "I am delighted to see the progress of the new tennis centre and look forward to it being completed."It will be a major community asset for us and will provide much-needed indoor facilities for tennis players in the region and beyond." 'A sport for everyone' Sportscotland chief executive Forbes Dunlop said it was exciting to see the progress which had been made."When it's opened the centre will be hugely significant for local tennis and the communities in Dumfries and Galloway," he Lawn Tennis Association said the project embodied its vision of ensuring tennis was "truly a sport for everyone".Blane Dodds, chief executive of Tennis Scotland, said: "This is a significant moment as we aim to continue making tennis accessible to everyone right across Scotland by providing year-round indoor facilities."The new indoor centre in Dumfries and Galloway is taking shape and we're all looking forward to seeing players get on the courts soon."
Wales Online
5 days ago
- Wales Online
Dying dad denied treatment that will give him more time with kids
Dying dad denied treatment that will give him more time with kids Former Welsh Rugby Union commercial director Craig Maxwell was first diagnosed with incurable lung cancer in September 2022 and has raised £1.6m for charity since Craig Maxwell with his children Zach and Isla after rowing 72 miles from Tenby to Cardiff (Image: Mark Lewis ) A terminally ill former Welsh Rugby Union commercial director has had his request for a potentially life-extending drug turned down in the midst of his latest fundraising efforts. Craig Maxwell, who was diagnosed with incurable and inoperable lung cancer back in September 2022, has been undergoing chemotherapy alongside using amivantamab - a drug not yet approved in the UK, but one that Maxwell says could give him an extra "invaluable" six months with his family. Having previously been turned down for funding, Maxwell had to pay for the first quarter of his treatment himself - recently telling WalesOnline it cost him nearly £22,000. The treatment is approved in the US and some parts of Europe but is not yet freely available in the UK - with it currently going through the NHS approval process. Prior to applying to a Individual Patient Funding Request panel, Maxwell said that the costs of continuing on the drug would be around £100,000. Since his diagnosis, Maxwell, who also previously worked for the Six Nations, has completed the London Marathon, cycled from Cardiff to Paris and, last year, he walked the entire 780-mile Wales Coastal Path in just 26 days, delivering the match ball ahead of Wales' Six Nations clash with France. In doing so, he has raised around £1.6m for charities and will not use any of that money for his own treatment. Article continues below Most recently, he rowed from Tenby to Cardiff ahead of the Champions Cup final at the Principality Stadium. It was during this latest challenge when he discovered his request for funding had not been successful, despite the fact that his latest results show that his cancer is "stable and has stopped growing". "They feel it's not making a considerable benefit to my quality of life versus the cost," he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast. "I've found that hard to accept, because in my position, six to nine months is invaluable. "There's no cost you can put on that, to have six or nine months with my family." Maxwell told the BBC that some private donors had offered help, but, as he faces having to continue paying for the drug himself, he is planning to go through the appeals process to overturn the decision. "The IPFR panel exists to support patients like me in Wales," he added. "I understand the drug is very expensive. "But it is the best thing for me at the moment and it was recommended to me by multiple professionals." He added that his his family are trying to enjoy their time together, as he recognises that "staying close is important". "There have been some amazing moments and experiences throughout this journey and I have to savour them," he said. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board told the BBC it had "worked extensively" with Maxwell to raise awareness of his condition. Article continues below "We are unable to comment further on individual patient cases," the health board added.
North Wales Live
6 days ago
- North Wales Live
Britain's leading athletes urge government to back London 2029 World Championships bid
The window to host one of the world's biggest sporting events could slam shut unless the government seizes the opportunity to invest, more than 100 of Britain's most celebrated athletes have warned. In a powerful open letter to the Prime Minister, Olympic champions, global medallists and rising stars have called on the government to back the bid to host the 2029 World Athletics Championships at the London Stadium with £45 million of funding. Joining the list of supporters are Sir Mo Farah, Keely Hodgkinson, Dame Kelly Holmes, Jonathan Edwards, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Paula Radcliffe, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Dina Asher-Smith, and Daley Thompson - a cross-generational group of sporting legends united in their belief that this is a rare opportunity to inspire the nation, foster unity, and create a lasting legacy. The involvement of the athletes lends additional support to the London 2029 campaign, spearheaded by Athletic Ventures - a collaboration between UK Athletics, London Marathon Events, and the Great Run Company. 'This is the moment to deliver something extraordinary,' said Hugh Brasher, event director of the London Marathon and co-founder of Athletic Ventures. 'London 2029 is not a risk; it's about return on investment for the UK. Generations of athletes know the inspirational power of a home Championships but this is about more than medals. It's a vision for what this country can achieve. 'With government support in 2028, we will deliver the greatest World Championships yet: commercially robust, community powered, and globally resonant. It is set to deliver more than £400 million in economic and community impact across the UK. The time to act is now.' The 2029 bid process is due to commence this summer, with organisers urging ministers to commit in the coming weeks to secure the Championships for the UK. Great Britain won ten athletics medals at last year's Paris Olympics, their best return in four decades. London's Diamond League meeting is established as the biggest in the world, selling out in record time last week, while Birmingham will host next year's European Championships. And to underline the sport's grassroots appeal, a record-breaking 1.1 million people have applied to run in next year's London Marathon. Outgoing UK Sport chair Dame Katherine Grainger recently admitted frustration at the lack of major sports events coming to the UK, which had been a legacy ambition of staging the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. Earlier this year, it was confirmed that the men's and women's Tour de France races will both begin in Britain in 2027, while in football, the UK and Ireland are staging the 2028 men's European Championship. "When it comes to 'mega-events', after 2028 we've got nothing secure," she said. Sport has worked hard to protect its government funding, despite warnings from the Institute for Fiscal Studies that cuts are inevitable for 'unprotected' areas – those outside the NHS, defence and schools. And UK Sport have already secured a record £330m in government and National Lottery funding to support Olympic and Paralympic athletes through to the Los Angeles Games in 2028. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has made no secret of his ambition to make his city the world's foremost sporting capital, with a successful 2029 event potentially crucial to his ambition to bring the Olympics back. London held the World Championships for the first time in 2017 and the event is still considered the gold standard, while it was also a huge commercial success with over 700,000 tickets sold. 'This is a bid rooted in credibility and ambition,' said Jack Buckner, UK Athletics chief executive and co-founder of Athletic Ventures. 'We know what home support can achieve and when our greatest athletes from past and present are unified with one message, their call should not be ignored. 'With London 2029, we have the chance to deliver a World Championships that lifts the nation, inspires the next generation, and showcases Britain at its very best. We're ready. Now we need the Government to stand with us.'
