An Aberdeen man performed his personal best time running the virtual Edinburgh marathon and raising over £1,900 for local charity Home-Start Aberdeen.

Tim Barclay raised over £960 which has been match funded by his employer Barratt Homes. A total of £1,945 was recently presented to volunteer events fundraiser, Karen Smith, to support the charity’s work with Aberdeen based families with young children who are struggling to cope with the challenges they face. This includes support for families affected by social isolation, bereavement, relationship problems, illness, disability and financial hardship.

The 2020 Edinburgh marathon was delayed and rescheduled a number of times due to CV19 and finally went ahead as a virtual event at the end of May this year.

“It was a real challenge to stay motivated and maintain fitness levels over a sustained period of time with the continued uncertainty of the timing of the event,” said Tim. I must admit I was relieved to finally complete it. The virtual aspect was strange and I certainly missed the atmosphere you get from the crowds at a live event but there was some camaraderie from others I met along the route and that kept me going.

“I’m well aware of the good work that Home-Start Aberdeen does locally in the community across Aberdeen. I’ve experienced the positive impact that volunteers have on the families they support and I’m really pleased to have been able to make a difference with the funds we’ve raised. Thank you to all those who supported and sponsored me and to Barratts for their generous contribution.”

Tim, who has previously competed in the London and Inverness marathons, ran the 26.2 miles from Aberdeen to Crathes in a personal best of 3 hours, 19 minutes and 58 seconds.

“We’re so grateful for individuals like Tim who take on these challenges that help raise vital funds for the work we do with families in Aberdeen,” commented Karen Smith from Home-Start. The loss of events over the last 18-months has had a significant impact on charitable fundraising but so many individuals have continued to engage in new and virtual events and fundraising challenges to support charities like ours, it’s just fantastic and we can’t thank them all enough.”

The charity is currently seeking any keen runners who would still like to run the ‘virtual’ London marathon in October and raise funds for a local cause. There are three remaining places available and anyone interested should contact Karen Smith at fundraiser@homestartaberdeen.org.uk

For over 30 years Home-Start Aberdeen has provided crucial help for struggling young families, who have at least one child under the age of five.

For more information on Home-Start Aberdeen visit www.homestartaberdeen.org.uk

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