A DORSET fundraiser will be hitting the streets of the capital for the London Marathon.

Matt Smith is the events and challenges fundraiser for Weldmar Hospicecare Trust and this April will be joining thousands of other runners for the 26.2miles of the marathon.

Matt said: “There are two main reasons why I am taking part.

“Firstly, it is always something that I have wanted to do. Each year I watch it on TV and say ‘That’ll be me next year’.

“But the other reason is because I want to raise as much money as I can for Weldmar.

“Each day I get to see the incredible care which is provided free of charge to hundreds of patients and their loved ones. The service is second to none.”

Matt also has a personal reason for raising money for the charity.

Back in 2000, his aunt Geraldine Stevens who was battling cancer, was cared for by nurses at home and spent her last few weeks in Joseph Weld Hospice in Dorchester.

Ever since, Matt’s family have been fundraising for the hospice and in 2006 Matt joined the charity where he now works as a full-time fundraiser. He said it was a ‘fantastic’ charity to work for.

He said: “The charity was there to help my family in our time of need and I want to raise as much money as possible to help other patients and their families in the future.”

He added: “Weldmar makes it possible for patients to be cared for where they want, be that in one of our day care centres, in the comfort of their own homes or as an inpatient at Joseph Weld Hospice.

“The services are top class but this costs money. We have to raise £10 every minute of every day to provide these services which is why fundraising is so important.”

Matt organises Weldmar’s large scale events like the Ladies’ Midnight Walk and annual summer fete as well as the challenges like trekking across the Sahara desert.

He will be part of a team of ten runners for Weldmar this year.

He said: “Each year we are asking people to run the London Marathon for us.

“I feel it is important that I know what these runners are going through and the commitment each person puts in.

“Training and running the marathon myself will help me understand how I support others to achieve this challenge and at the same time will raise much needed funds for our local hospice.”

It hasn’t all be plain sailing for Matt as he trains for the marathon and he said he has suffered leg injuries and trouble with his achilles tendon and found it painful to run.

He said: “I am quite nervous about the marathon because of my injuries. I am not worried about completing it in a certain time, just that I finish it in one piece.”

To sponsor Matt visit justgiving.com/mattsmiff.

  • ARE you running the London Marathon. If you are please let us know. Email us at newsdesk@dorsetecho.co.uk or call 01305 830999.