Mum of two runs half marathon in Charlie’s memory

A mother of two ran a half marathon on Sunday in memory of a family friend, who tragically died aged 12.

Holly Hubbard had previously run the distance and when she heard about a Scout group’s fundraising project, she thought it was the perfect cause to support.

The 1st Aylesford Group is hoping to raise £290,000 to build a new hut on Forstal Road in memory of one of its own, Charlie Girling.

The Maplesden Noakes pupil died at a Scout Jamboree in Finland last year.

His family have lived across the road from Mrs Hubbard’s father and stepmother for many years, and the 31-year-old remembers Charlie being born.

She said: “I know his family well, and it’s just such a sad situation. Having children of my own I can’t imagine having such a young child go so suddenly.

“They are a lovely family and no one deserves what happened to them. “I wanted to show support for his memory and give other children the opportunities he was given at the Scouts.

“He was there from when he was six, and it was a huge part of his life.”

Although she has done halfmarathons in the past, Mrs Hubbard says it was not easy to fit training in.

“I have two young kids, Luke and Pippa, so fitting training in three times a week is sometimes a challenge,” she said. “Thankfully my husband Ian trained and ran with me, so I’ve had his support.

“It was 19 degrees on Sunday and there wasn’t a single cloud for shade, so I struggled with the heat. It definitely helped me to know I was doing it for Charlie and his family.

“Knowing that anything I was feeling with injuries or heat was nothing compared to what our friends have been through and made us want to achieve it even more.

“I’m definitely proud of this half marathon for what it was about, not for any personal achievements.”

The couple have so far raised £220.

To donate, go to tinyurl.com/ HubbardKM