RSPCA challenges Chichester residents to take on their dream run to raise money for animal care

Mount Noddy Animal Centre is calling on all runners, whatever their level of experience or fitness to join them for a Dream Run Challenge where a virtual route can be planned to take those involved anywhere in the world.

The Dream Run Challenge came about after John Ryman committed to a 12-month campaign to run a virtual route covering 1,076 miles – the equivalent of running from his home in Hampshire to Land’s End and then onto John O’Groats.

John and his family adopted beagle Poppy from Mount Noddy two years ago and decided to use his daily runs to add up to a long distance challenge to raise £500 for the branch.

John said: “It’s quite a challenge for a 15-stone 55-year-old, but I feel I can do it if I have the incentive to raise funds for the branch.

“Although we donate to Mount Noddy regularly we appreciate that Covid-19 has dented their fund raising enormously.”

Whether choosing to jog along the Californian coast or run round Lake Como, participants simply pick a dream route, plot their journey with a distance of choice and create their challenge using the Mount Noddy fundraising page.

All money raised through the Dream Run Challenge will go to Mount Noddy as it embarks on its most ambitious project to date, with a £3.42million refurbishment that will enable the centre to help hundreds more animals.

More than £1.5million is still needed to complete the build and provide ongoing animal care.

Jenny Eden, fundraising manager at Mount Noddy said: “With our shops closed and our events cancelled we are struggling to generate income to keep the branch running.

“It is only through amazing supporters like John we can keep the money coming in.

“I’ve just created my own dream run along the Californian coast from Malibu to Newport Beach – yesterday when I went puffing and panting round Worthing in the cold it was actually 22 degrees in my dream destination.

“The map is really easy to plot and I’ve set the plane fare to LA (the cheapest I could find) £319 as my target.”

For more information visit www.rspcasussexchichester.org.uk/dream-run-challenge or support John at rspcasussexchichesterdistrict.enthuse.com/pf/john-ryman

---

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.