A Hampshire Police Officer is preparing to take on the London Landmarks Half Marathon in support of Police Children’s Fund .
Lucy Stoneley, a serving Police Constable with Hampshire Police, will be swapping her uniform for running gear as she tackles her first ever half marathon. And for Lucy, the challenge is particularly special because she knows first-hand the difference the charity can make.
“I used to be a beneficiary of the Fund because my mum was injured on duty” Lucy explains.
“She was medically pensioned out, so I received support from them when I was a child.
“I’ve obviously experienced the good work they do, for me and also for my friends I made through the charity, so I just wanted to give back and what better way than to run at the same time?”
The support Lucy received included a sailing holiday for older children, help towards her driving lessons as well as support for her dance classes. Now, years later, she is hoping to raise money to help provide those same opportunities for other young people. Lucy says one of the most important things the charity provided was a sense of community for children who had been through similar experiences.
“Especially for all the children who have lost parents, it was a place where everyone could speak so openly about what they’ve been through” she says.
Lucy, who has been a PC for four and a half years and currently works as a Response Officer, has previously taken part in the Great South Run twice, including running the 10-mile event for the Fund during Covid, but the London Landmarks Half Marathon will be a new challenge.
Training hasn’t been completely straightforward, however, with Lucy suffering an injury which put back her plans slightly.
“I have problems with my joints, so I had a bad leg and I couldn’t walk” she says, “but I told myself that I must just keep running, it’s okay, it’s nothing major”.
Lucy is now back on track with her training and she has a very enthusiastic running partner at her side. Her dog, Dora, joins her on every run, with the pair aiming to get out every other day.
“We’ll do a 5k, and then we’ll do a longer run, maybe 10k and we’re just trying to increase it and she comes with me every time”.
As Lucy builds towards her race day on 4 April 2027, she hopes her fundraising can make a difference to another young person, just as the charity did for her.
“I think they probably rely quite heavily on people fundraising for them” she says.
“However small the donation I can make, it pays for something. It will pay for someone’s driving lessons, it will pay for someone to get a laptop, it will help them in the long run.
‘So, yeah, it’s just something small that hopefully can change someone’s future”.
The Fund is so grateful to Lucy for her amazing effort to support our charity in this way so why not help Lucy on her way – you can find her fundraising page here.