Anne limbers up for charity

A South Norfolk mum who helps bereaved families cope with loss is limbering up to take part in a marathon fundraiser.

On Sunday, April 5, mother-of-three Anne Beckett-Allen of Rosedale Funeral Home will line up alongside 35,000 other people to take part in the International Paris Marathon, to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

"I read an article in the paper about a Lucy Smith, a Norwich teenager who'd been coping with cancer for five years and was raising money towards a dedicated unit for teenagers at Addenbrooke's Hospital," she explained.

"I was so inspired by her story I decided to do something to help.

"Cancer touches the lives of most people at some time, yet it's not an illness generally associated with teenagers.

"The article highlighted just how important it is that patients are treated in the right environment and there's clearly a huge need for a dedicated teenage unit in the region," added Anne, who lives in Scole.

Anne completed her first marathon - the Bungay Black Dog - last year and April's trip to Paris will be her first international race. The event starts from the Arch de Triumph, taking in famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Champs Elysees and the Louvre.

"Paris is a fabulous city and this will be an unusual way of seeing the sights, at the same time as raising money for such a worthwhile cause. It has meant a lot of early mornings to fit in the training but I've had some great local support and I'm really looking forward to the race," said Anne.

A family-run funeral home, Rosedale supports a number of local charities and community groups, including Halesworth Volunteer Centre, Diss Friends of Chernobyl's Children and the East Anglian air ambulance.

Anyone wishing to sponsor Anne Beckett-Allen's marathon run can do so at http://www.justgiving.com/tctaddenbrookes

appeal or by calling Rosedale Funeral Home on 01379 640810.

Rosedale Funeral Home has branches in Diss, Wymondham, Attleborough, Bungay and Halesworth.