Mum running 10k a day for 25 days for children's charities at Christmas

Diane Chapman, of Birstall, wants to raise funds for The NSPCC and Childline and inspire other people to set their own challenges and finish a difficult year on a positive note.

Leeds United fan Diane hopes to run 10k every day for 25 days and hopes to start her last run at midnight on Christmas Eve dressed as Santa.

It is the second time Leeds Aviva insurance company worker Diane has set herself the challenge of running a total of 250k from December 1 to 25.

Mum-of two Diane completed the same advent calendar run challenge in December 2010 to raise cash for Martin House Children's Hospice at Boston Spa, Wetherby.

Diane is calling this challenge the ‘Advent Call-endar’ as every £4 raised will mean Childline counsellors can answer a call, email or message from a young person who is struggling this Christmas.

Diane, 44, said: “It’s going to be a lot harder on me this time around as I’m ten years older, but I’ve managed to convince friends and family to support me each day and join me on the runs.

"One friend, Nicola Simpson, from Rothwell, has decided to do the whole challenge with me."

She added: “I’ve been overwhelmed with the number of people who have said they can’t run 10k, but would do 10,000 steps every day in December or stop smoking because they wanted to run a 10k with me but not be out of breath."

Diane said the decision to complete the challenge in support of the NSPCC was made after she discovered Childline delivered 6,566 counselling sessions over the 12 days of Christmas last year.

The calls included a 26 per cent increase in counselling sessions about suicidal thoughts and feelings compared to the previous Christmas.

She said: “I know how children are struggling and reaching out more during the pandemic.

"I wanted to know who I could support with the challenge, and when I saw social media posts about the increased number of children contacting Childline, I decided to do it to raise money to help answer those calls.

“This year has been an emotional rollercoaster, but I honestly do find with running that I go out sometimes filled with a lot of thoughts, and I go out on the run and leave them all on the pavement, and I come back feeling so much better. It’s given me a different focus.

"It’s easy to panic at the moment with everything that’s going on with Covid, but this just helps pull me back and focus and hopefully it’s a bit of positivity to be shared.”

Elaine Kaye, Community Fundraising Manager for the NSPCC said: "Many children have been hidden victims of the pandemic – suffering abuse and neglect at home, increased risk online, or further pressures on their mental health.

"Thousands of young people will feel the desperate need to speak to our counsellors over the festive period, and while we don’t yet know how many children we’ll speak to this Christmas, we know we’ll be doing everything we can to support them and Diane’s amazing fundraising will help ensure we’re there for children when they need us most.”

Click here To donate to Diane’s Advent Call-endar challenge.