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The work of social care charity Guild Care struck an emotional chord with Horsham runner, Tom Balfour, whose family has been affected by dementia. He successfully completed the Worthing Half Marathon on 28 April to raise valuable funds for the charity which supports people living with dementia and their carers & loved ones, along with offering a diverse range of services for older people and children & adults with learning disabilities.

When Tom registered for the Worthing Half Marathon, he chose to support the work that Guild Care provide throughout the area.

“Two of my grandparents were both diagnosed with dementia in 2016 and 2015 respectively, and very sadly passed away in the years after,” said Tom. “It's also an illness that affected my wife's great auntie. My family & I therefore felt a strong affiliation with Guild Care and the amazing work they do, particularly for people living with dementia. As I also work in Worthing, it was a great to be able to support a local charity.”

Tom had also taken a hiatus from distance running for three years and had been looking for a new challenge to work towards.

Tom Balfour completed his Worthing half marathon in aid of local charity, Guild Care

“As well as the atmosphere and the crowds, the idea of a flat run along the seafront really appealed to me!” said Tom. “I don’t run just for the physical exercise, I also do it for the mental health benefits it gives, especially the endorphins and ‘runners high’ that comes after a run.”

Tom’s training went well, encouraged by his wife and his four friends who were also running in the event. He achieved a personal best time of 02:01:16, beating his previous record by 21 seconds! He’s now set himself a new goal of sub-2 hours for a half marathon.

Having set up a JustGiving page, which is still open for donations at Tom Balfour is fundraising for Guild Care (justgiving.com), Tom beat his fundraising target of £400 and has so far raised £425 for Guild Care.

“The Worthing Half Marathon has certainly reignited my passion for these events. I’ve even entered the ballot for the London Marathon for the first time. In the meantime, I’ll continue to attend my local Parkrun and have a little time off from the longer distance runs – until next time!”

Aisha Palmer of Guild Care added, “Congratulations to Tom on successfully completing his half marathon with a personal best! We’re incredibly grateful to Tom and everyone who has donated to his fundraising for Guild Care. These donations will really make a difference to the people we support through our services in and around Worthing.”

Guild Care is Worthing’s leading social care charity and has been providing support and care in the local community for more than 90 years. They host a variety of fundraising events throughout the year for people to join.

The next events include a Golf Day on 6th June and their annual ‘Walk with Purpose’ along the Worthing seafront for all the family on Sunday 8th September. More details are available here – www.guildcare.org/walkwithpurpose.

Runner achieves personal best while fundraising for local charity, Guild Care