Former Doncaster journalist to tackle London Marathon in aid of RSPCA

Cheryl Hague will be taking part in the 26.2 mile challenge on April 23 to help the charity to continue to rescue and rehabilitate animals during tough economic times.

The mother-of-two has grown-up watching the historic race on TV and was spurred into action after witnessing the horrific cruelty shown towards animals on a daily basis in her job as the RSPCA’s regional press manager.

Cheryl, a former reporter for the Doncaster Advertiser, even adopted a cat, named Arthur, after she wrote a RSPCA press appeal about his plight when he and two siblings were dumped in a carrier bag in Birmingham in October 2021.

Her children Lauren (now 19) and Zoe (now 16) saw the appeal and were keen to help by offering him a loving home.

They were lonely in lockdown and also struggling to cope with the terminal illness of Cheryl’s mum - Mary Dinning - so they adopted Arthur to bring some cheer into their lives.

Cheryl said: “We already had a rescue dog called Bruno but the girls were keen to help this kitten when they saw he was in need of a home. I wasn’t sure if Bruno would like sharing his home but he is such an easy-going Staffy that they soon formed a close bond.

“It was a very strange time for the girls as they were not at school during lockdown and stuck at home they were pretty fed up like most children.

“Sadly added to this my mum had been diagnosed with terminal cancer so things were extra hard especially due to the rules which meant we couldn't even give her a cuddle. It was a really heart-breaking and difficult time.

“When we were allowed, we took Arthur to see my mum in her West Yorkshire home (in Boston Spa) and she loved playing with him as she was a big animal lover so he really helped make her happy.

“It was certainly a dark time for us all but Arthur and his naughty kitten antics helped bring some light into that awful period.”

Cheryl, who lives in Handsworth in Sheffield, wanted to repay the charity to help other rescue pets find their forever homes and signed up to run the iconic marathon for them.

She is no stranger to marathons, as a runner with the Handsworth Roadhogs running club, she has completed eight so far and this will be her fifth at London.

She enlisted the help of her friends from the running club Nicola Bates, of Handsworth, and Mick Waring, of Dronfield, who had secured their own places at the event but have decided to help Cheryl in her fund-raising efforts.

Every year around 50,000 people take part in the London Marathon which raises much-needed funds to help the RSPCA continue to rescue over 100,000 animals each year from neglect and cruelty.

Cheryl added: “It has not been an easy training journey for me as I suffered a broken ankle a year ago and had to come back from that and am also having treatment for a back injury - but I am determined to get round the course because I know I am doing this challenge for such an amazing charity.

“I am lucky to see first hand how the donations are used to continue the charity’s fabulous work and they are under pressure more than ever due to the cost of living crisis.

“The RSPCA has seen calls to the charity increasing, more animals are coming into their care, and rehoming is slowing as cost of living pressures bite. Frontline officers are also seeing more abandonments, and more owners struggling with costs for vet bills and food - it really is a tough time and we need to make sure owners and pets get the help they need. I just want to do my bit to help support the situation.”

The RSPCA has created a dedicated Cost of Living Hub with practical help and advice on the charity’s website and has a telephone helpline to support callers who are worried about the cost of living crisis - 0300 123 0650 - open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

To help support Cheryl’s cause and donate to the RSPCA, visit her JustGiving page here

If you have been inspired to take on a challenge for the RSPCA, visit: https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/fundraise/running