Twins go on the run for youth group cash
AYOUTH group for children with Down’s Syndrome has benefited from a charity race run by twins with the condition.
Twin brothers Harry and Thomas Derricott, 16, decided to sign up to the Manchester Color Run, a 5k race starting and finishing at The Etihad Stadium in Manchester, having seen photos of last year’s event on a friend’s mobile phone.
The brothers who aren’t regular runners, told their mum that they’d like to run the race to raise funds for their youth group the Saturday Club, a Macclesfield group for young people with Down’s Syndrome.
The group provides the young people with opportunities to socialise, develop communication skills, friendships, and confidence.
It’s a fortnightly group established in 2011 by Heidi Reid, from Bollington, and Dawn Franklin and Anna Orme, from Macclesfield, who all have children with Down’s Syndrome.
Heidi said: “The youth group has had two year funding from The People’s Health Trust Active Communities programme.
“But that funding will soon be coming to an end, so we’re over the moon that the boys worked so hard to raise money for the group.
“The money they’ve raised will fund between eight to 10 sessions for us, and more importantly was something that they had the confidence to propose independently, and dedicate themselves to training for.
“We’re all very proud of Harry and Thomas.”
The boys, from Wilmslow, ran the race after telling their mum Jill they’d like to do it.
Mum Jill said: “It was the boy’s idea.
“They saw the pictures and said they wanted to do it for Saturday Club.”
Training for the run meant the boys running every week over longer and longer distances, joined by their mum and family friend Penny Millington, who works in Macclesfield.
Penny said: “We had such a fun time training.
“And on the day, once they decided to sprint, I couldn’t keep up.
Thomas said: “I loved it so much, because I used to be tired and out of breath.”
When asked why they wanted to raise money for their youth group Harry said: “So we can do the disco, and dance to loud music.”
The boys are keen to run again in next year’s race, but this time with more of their Saturday Club friends.