Ormesby woman's run in memory of gran

AN Ormesby woman will be running the London Marathon fuelled by the memory of her grandmother and a desire to thank those who helped care for her.

Sarah Bailey, 25, is going the distance in order to raise money for the Marie Curie appeal, who aided Patsy Fortescue and the family before she passed away in January this year.

Now a full-time fundraiser for the English Touring Opera, she has been selected as just one of 200 to run for the charity and needs to raise over �2,000 before the event in April.

As a part of this, she will be returning home from London to Norfolk in order to collect money at Tesco in Caister on November 28 and plans to hold more collections in the future.

Ms Bailey, who has so far raised �200, said: “I wanted to raise money for them because they helped my nanny so much when she was ill and they helped my family a lot at that time. They really help those who are terminally ill with cancer live out their last days in comfortable surroundings and their services are great.

“I've always wanted to run the marathon - I've seen my dad run it so it was a personal ambition of mine and to do it for Marie Curie is dream come true.”

Patsy Fortescue, who died at the age of 74 from cancer, was a popular member of her community in Caister, where as well as being a regular ten-pin bowler she played the organ at St Edmond's Church.

Ms Bailey, who as part of a team helped raise �6,000 for Cancer Research UK as part of the Great Yarmouth Relay for Life in July, will be running the half marathon in Norwich on November 29.

Her family has already raised �1,100 for Marie Curie after it held a collection at Mrs Fortescue's funeral.

Those interested in donating can do so on Sarah's fundraising website www.justgiving.com/sarahbaileylondonmarathon2010