A Doncaster man has put his best foot forward to raise as much money as possible for a vital local charity close to his heart.
Jason Inglis (46), from Rossington, took part in the Sheffield half marathon earlier this year and after counting up all his donations has raised a whopping £1,800 for Doncaster Deaf Trust which manages Doncaster School for the Deaf where his late mum attended.
Following a request by children on the school council, the money has been used to purchase two large round benches for pupils so they can get together with their friends. The round tables are important as it means that the children can face each other when signing and communicating.
Jason, who works in field sales for Virgin Media, said: “Deciding to do this race was quite emotional for me and there were a number of reasons I wanted to do it but when my son Charlie agreed to join me, I knew I had to just go for it!
“I lost my mum last year and the date of the half marathon, 26 March, happened to be her birthday so that was my birthday present to her because I knew she would have been really proud of me. I wanted to run for Doncaster School for the Deaf because she attended the school so that was also important to us and a way of remembering her and giving something back to them.
“And having the event as a focus also spurred me on to get back into running and lose a few pounds which has also been beneficial!
“To have raised £1,800 is incredible and the benches are a great way to help the pupils communicate with each other, be more sociable and have fun in memory of my mum which is lovely. I’d just like to thank every single person who donated, I’m so grateful to them.”
Becca Lynch, fundraising officer for Doncaster Deaf Trust, said: “Jason is an inspiration and everyone at Doncaster Deaf Trust, particularly the pupils and staff in our school, would like to thank him and Charlie for all their amazing efforts.
“The request for the benches came directly from the children themselves so this money will make a huge difference to their life in school, and we really appreciate Jason taking part in the half marathon and making this donation to us.”