Hello everyone, my name is Elliott and I work at the Hughes Upper Brook Street branch in Ipswich. I’m introducing myself as I will be with you for the next few months while I’m field testing Epson’s fitness watch, the RUNSENSE510. I will also be doing regular updates reviewing the watch and its app, as I use it while I’m training for the Ipswich 10k Twilight Run on Friday 5th August. This is no ordinary product review – this is about helping the children of soldiers killed whilst serving in our Armed Forces.
I’m running for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, an amazing and inspirational charity dedicated to supporting children who have lost a parent whilst serving in the British Armed Forces. The people at Scotty’s Little Soldiers do such good work for these children, helping them through a difficult time and afterwards. Scotty’s offer three types of assistances: Smiles, Support & Strides, all of which are available to the members. Smile focuses on helping the children to realise that it’s ok to have fun and smile again following the loss of a parent; this can be done with Scotty Breaks and other activities. Support is focused on the emotional side of the bereavement with professional bereavement counselling. Strides helps the older children & young adults with personal development, in the form of things like driving lessons or help with further education being just two examples of the amazing support Scotty’s Little Soldiers provides.
I will be pushing myself even harder as I will be doing my 10k differently to anyone else. As a sign of respect to our Armed Forces I will be running with a standard weighted Forces pack of 25kg (that’s a whopping 55lbs in ‘old money’) and a full airsoft loadout.
I have been very lucky with local support from three companies who have not only agreed to help with my fundraising but they have all also donated prizes for a raffle. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Hughes, Combat Airsoft Thetford and Just Essentials.
The following Hughes shops all have the ability to collect any welcome sponsorship: Ipswich Superstore, Felixstowe, Dovercourt, Clacton, Sudbury and Stowmarket. Collection pots are also available at the Ipswich Town Centre Hughes, Ipswich Just Essentials and Combat Airsoft Thetford.
Follow Scotty’s Little Soldiers on Facebook and find out more about extra activities being arranged to aid in fundraising, like Scotty’s Day on 10th July. Stay peeled to our blog where, at a later date I will go into more detail on each of the sponsors and what they’re doing/done to help the fund raising and keeping you up to date on my training & progress. For every £5 that you sponsor you will be entered into the raffle which I shall draw after the run.
