Member Article

Local Businesswoman smashes target!

Karen Langdon, DEAL Group, and her birthday twin, Ken Bradshaw, set out to raise £2,500 in a year to mark the occasion of their reaching 50. Through a series of challenges (such as Northern Cyclone and the Great North Run) and innovative events (such as the Durham Big Dinner Party and an Open Gardens on the rainiest day of 2011!) they have raised more than £5,000. Now, Hilary Armstrong, Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top, and the Director of VSO, Brian Rockcliffe, OBE, will be coming to collect the cheque on the 20th February.

“We are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and energy friends and strangers have invested. The generosity on a grand and humble scale is astonishing. The local pub quiz gave their Christmas winnings, over 500 novels were donated for the Winter Fair and the cake baking talents of local residents were a phenomenon of the Open Gardens keeping everyone cheerful on the wettest, windiest day in July” reports Karen.

Ken entered the GNR for the first time and achieved the half marathon in an impressive 1.47. “We both did VSO in 1990s and realised that many of our friends and colleagues in Guyana and Kenya where we worked would be facing 50 with trepidation and in potential greater poverty. Life expectancy is decreasing in part of Africa and Asia while we look to an ever lengthening retirement age. We wanted to do what we could.”

The 20th of February is a chance to say ‘thank you’ and meet people who work and lobby for changing lives in other countries. Do join us. We are still able to accept donations on our just giving pages.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Karen Langdon .