Runners make it a family affair as they raise £3,000 plus for Lost Chord

IT was a family affair for runners who raised more than £3,000 for top dementia charity Lost Chord in the Vitality Big Half Marathon which was won by Mo Farah.

For among the competitors were Julian Muller, the son of Lost Chord Chief Executive Helena Muller, and his fiancee Alicia Ejsmund Frey.

Lost Chord soprano Joanne McGahon and her family ran Vitality Marathon 2019And they were joined on the starting line by another family group made up of Lost Chord soprano Joanne McGahon, her husband Martin and son Oliver, along with Matthew Langstone, Julian Ryland, Catherine Havanagh, Tim & Celeste Tilly

We were delighted that Mickie Higham, a university student keen to support Lost Chord, also ran on the day.

And between them the runners managed to raise more than £3,000 for the charity that provides vital interactive musical sessions for people living with dementia in care homes and days centres both across the region and nationally.

“It was a very cold rainy and windy day so we were all grateful that they turned up so enthusiastically,” said Helena, who was joined by husband Franz to cheer the runners on.

“It was lovely to see Julian and Alicia running and raising more than £1,000 between them, while the McGahons did fantastically well too and really gave the event everything they had.

Along with Mickie, they all gave so much and the money they raised really will make a massive difference to the lives of so many people living with dementia who find that music is a wonderful form of stimulation and release at this difficult time of their life.”