Robin Hood Run

Last year Hayley Roberts was watching the Experian Robin Hood Marathon from the sidelines as a marshal. But this September she will be amongst the thousands of other runners pounding the streets out on the course.
 
Hayley, 33, from Bestwood Park will be running the half marathon to raise money for CLIC Sargent, who helped her son Ashdon when the unthinkable happened.
 
Ashdon was just eight years old when he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, a form of cancer affecting the lymphatic system. The following six months saw Ashdon undergoing an intensive course of chemotherapy at the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC).

Hayley Roberts said: “When I heard that Ashdon had cancer, it just didn’t sink in. But it didn’t take long for it to take over our lives. Just two days after diagnosis, we were on a cancer ward where we stayed for the next six months. Without our CLIC Sargent Social Worker, I wouldn’t have found the strength to cope, which is why I wanted to run the half marathon for the charity.”

As a single parent, Hayley found it hard on the ward on her own, she continued: “There was no-one to talk to about how I felt, and I began to worry about my finances too. The diagnosis came as a huge shock but within hours we met Esther, our CLIC Sargent Social Worker. Though she couldn’t change the diagnosis, she helped us handle the incredible changes in our lives, which happened overnight. Esther is someone that Ashdon would talk to, about all aspects of his illness.”

Hayley and her father Brian marshalled the marathon for CLIC Sargent in 2008, but this year she was determined to do more. Hayley continued, “I decided to start jogging in the New Year in a bid to get fitter and meet people. I joined the Huffers & Puffers running group in Woodthorpe and they have helped me so much. 

“I did the Shape Up Notts 5k run in April and am now up to six miles, which is further than I have ever run before. I am training three times a week with the group and trying to get them all to run for CLIC Sargent as well.”

As one of the official charities of the event, together with The Fire Fighters Charity, Headway – the brain injury association and the Alzheimers Society, CLIC Sargent is in charge of sourcing marshals (volunteers) to stuff the runner’s goody bags and marshals to cover the course and event village on the embankment. 

Dee Richardson, Events Fundraising Manager at CLIC Sargent said: “The £30,000 that we raised from last year’s event has helped us to support 163 patients and their families in Nottinghamshire in 2008, over 80 of which were new to the charity.  It has also enabled CLIC Sargent to issue over £17,000 in grants to children and young people in the county.

“We would like to do the same and more in the year to come and are urging people to run for us and the official charities like Hayley and her family are."

For more information on how you can get involved please contact Dee Richardson on: 0113 2307902. top of page