Former Olympic athlete Brian Whittleputs his running shoes back on to support NSPCC Scotland in Great Scottish Run
Former Olympic athlete Brian Whittle has called on runners to put their best foot forward and join him in taking part in this year’s Great Scottish Run to raise funds for NSPCC Scotland.
The Conservative MSP for South Scotland is a supporter of the leading children’s charity and helped launch the NSPCC’s Childline service in Glasgow more than 30 years ago.
He will get back in the running by taking part in this year’s 10km race in Glasgow on Sunday, 30 September – and has urged his fellow Scots to join him in pounding the pavements to support the NSPCC.
This year’s Great Scottish Run weekend offers up to 30,000 runners of all abilities the choice of taking part in a toddler dash, junior run, family mile, 10k or half marathon over the weekend of Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 September.
Brian said: “I have a long association with NSPCC Scotland and Childline, I was one of the people who launched Childline in Glasgow with Esther Rantzen in the 1980s.
“The NSPCC does so much good work and I would encourage as many people as possible to take part in the Great Scottish Run to raise funds for them.
“People taking part in the run can impact children’s lives by helping the NSPCC, you would be doing something positive, get yourself in shape and your own physical and mental healthwould improve.
“There are no down sides to taking part in a race to raise funds for the NSPCC, it’s about challenging yourself, giving yourself something to look forward to.”
Brian has also attended NSPCC Scotland’s ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ programme which aims to visit every primary school in the UK to give a generation of children the tools to help them keep safe from abuse and neglect.
In the last academic year, the service has been received by more than 130,000 pupils in primary schools in Scotland and has now reached all 32 Local Authorities.
He added: “I have witnessed the NSPCC’s Schools Service team first hand and I’m staggered by some of the work being done teaching children about abuse.
“My youngest daughter’s school has received the ‘Speak Out, Stay Safe’ assemblies.
“She was able to come back from school, look me in the eye and talk to me about abuse and ask me questions.
“That to me is unbelievably crucial, there are a lot of children out there who are being abused and don’t even know what abuse is.
“To provide crucial services like this obviously requires money and that’s why it’s so important people take part in fundraising for the NSPCC.”
Paul Cockram, NSPCC Scotland Fundraising Manager, said: “We’re delighted that Brian is fundraising for children in Scotland by taking on the Great Scottish Run with NSPCC Scotland.
“With Brian’s passion for running and keeping active, we are hoping he can inspire others to join him at the Great Scottish Run and raise funds for NSPCC Scotland’s work.”
Discounted entry to the Great Scottish Run is available by clicking this link:
and quoting discount code PURPLEFISH
