Who, What and Why?
Who's Andrew Dobie?
Andrew was born on 2nd September 1982, in Oxford, England. He later moved to Harpenden, Hertfordshire and is currently training to become a primary school teacher at the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham.
Andrew had a tough time in his teens when he was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME) whilst studying at Sir John Lawes School, Harpenden and suffered from extreme fatigue for nearly 6 years. The lack of exercise led to significant weight gain and despite his love for sport, he weighed an incredible 18 stone back in 2004. Andrew was finally able to pass the required grades to go to university in 2005 and has not looked back ever since.
His return to fitness has been a huge success, and this year he hopes to prove his return to health with a challenge that will test his physical and mental strength to the limits.
What is he doing?
In August this year, Andrew will embark on a 350 mile run from London commuter town and current home place, Harpenden, to Edinburgh in Scotland. Starting on 10th August, Andrew hopes to complete the run by arriving in Edinburgh on the 2nd September for a combined celebration of his birthday and this magnificent achievement.
Each day will be broken down into 3 short runs of 10km each starting at first light, midday and early evening. He hopes to use his rest periods to visit local towns and villages and collect as much money as possible for the charities he is running in aid of.
Why is he running?
Andrew is running to raise money and awareness of two charities very close to his heart; The Stroke Association and Action for Children.
Andrews grandfather was the inspiration for much of his sporting interest and despite his fitness, suffered numerous strokes in the latter years of his life. The Stroke Association provide vital services in assisting with the prevention, treatment and aftercare of stroke sufferers. They provided a much needed service to Andrews grandfather and with our support, will help many others in the future.
The second charity is very much linked to the experiences Andrew has had while on school placement during his teacher training. He has worked with a number of children with diverse social and economic backgrounds; some not as fortunate as others. Action for Children supports and speaks out for the most vulnerable children and young people in the UK, giving practical support to families who need it the most.
Andrew feels very strongly about both of his chosen charities and hopes to raise at least £5000 to be shared between these two good causes.
Donation Opportunities
There are a number of ways to donate money to Andrews charities:
As well as individual donations, Andrew is also looking for corporate support and donations. All corporations who support Andrew will be given the opportunity of having their logo and details appearing on www.rundobierun.co.uk and a link to their own website. As well as cash donations, Andrew is also hoping for the following:
- Items for the online auction
- Sportswear for the run
- Nutritional aids and supplements
- Campervan supplies including diesel, gas & food
There is also the opportunity for advertising on the sides of the campervan that will be Andrews support vehicle for the duration of the run. The vehicle will be travelling up and back down the country over a period of 4 weeks and will be exposed to passing vehicles, pedestrians and general public when parked up in many towns during charity collections along the way. If you think your company or corporation would benefit from this form of advertising, please
contact us to discuss this opportunity in more detail.
