Marathon man Matt’s mammoth fund-raising effort

A father is taking on a mammoth personal challenge in a bid to raise £100,000 to fund a new playground at his son’s village school.

Matthew Webber, 38, is planning to run 100k to help fund a new playground for Holy Trinity CE Dobcross Primary School in Saddleworth, in Spring next year.

His gruelling task will take him more than 100 kilometres across the Manchester Marathon, the London Marathon, and, a week later, at the AJ Bell Manchester Half Marathon in May.

Matt, a father of two, said: “I am taking on this challenge to help raise money for something that matters to our school community.

"The school needs a complete overhaul of the playground and the full project will cost around £100,000.

“Taking on more than 100 kilometres of running felt like a good way to do something practical to help us get there.”

And he added: "If for any reason the playground project cannot go ahead, all funds will remain with FODS and used to support future projects that benefit the children of the school.

“If you are able to donate, I would be incredibly grateful.

"Even a small contribution will help us move towards the total and will keep me going through the long winter training and the harder miles on race day.”

And as back up, he’s launched a GoFundMe page saying: ”Your support will make a real difference.

"Thank you so much for helping us get closer to the new playground.”

The excited Friends of Dobcross School will be working together to share updates and reveal each phase of the plans.

A spokesperson said: "This ambitious project will require a £100,000 investment, and we’ll be looking to our wonderful community, local businesses, and school families to help us fundraise and make it a reality."

Matt’s GoFundMe page can be found here

The school's GoFundMe page can be found here

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