Bland on the run captures a selfie with every scarecrow on village trail
A UK charity that helps people to rebuild their lives after a stroke is set to benefit from an event that took place recently.
As Desford’s fourth annual three-day Scarecrow Festival kicked off, local woman and scarecrow builder Anne Bland, 52, embarked on her now yearly charity challenge in which she runs the entire trail in number order, stopping only to pose for a selfie with each exhibit.
Anne’s latest run was completed on behalf of the Stroke Association in memory of a family friend who had suffered from the condition two years earlier.
Anne, a dog walker and pet carer with Bland on the Run, said: “The challenge started at the inaugural festival, initially just as a way of seeing a large number of scarecrows in a short space of time but when I realised how big a feat this was going to be I decided it would be a fitting challenge to complete it for charity. It then became a yearly challenge.
“The Stroke Association is a cause very close to my heart,” Anne, a member of Desford Striders Running Club, added. “When we lost our friend, suddenly and expectedly, in 2019 I promised that I would run as a tribute to him and to fundraise in his memory.
“I hope I’ve done him proud and helped the charity’s vital work.”
Anne’s 2021 run was 15km in length and took her around three-and-a-half hours to finish.
“The hardest part was not the running,” Anne explained, “it was the constant stopping to pose for photos.”
This year’s festival, which attracted thousands of visitors to the village, saw 116 households and small businesses display straw-filled creations within a “Tell me a story” theme.
Anne herself had two scarecrows on display: “Pollyanna”, as a nod to her nine year-old daughter of the same name and “Where’s Spot?”, on behalf of her dog care business.
“There were some amazing scarecrows on the trail,” Anne said. “Desford has some very talented and creative people. Seeing them all certainly helped make the miles pass quicker.”
The gallery of Anne’s selfies with all of the Desford scarecrows can be found on Facebook. Her fundraising page is still accepting donations at:
https://www.justgiving. com/fundraising/ blandontherun2021
For photo opportunities or for further information about the Scarecrow Trail Running Selfie Challenge, email Anne.Bland ontheRun@gmail.com.