Local friends take on Peak District Ultra Challenge in support of Elsie’s Story Charitable Trust

Sarah Woods, Agency Manager at NFU Mutual South West Lancashire, along with three close friends Sinda, Jeni and Laura, will be testing themselves and hope to bring attention to the vital work the charity does and raise some money to support its initiatives.

The group will be embarking on the Bakewell 10-mile Peak District Challenge, one of the events of ‘The ‘10’ Series’ that Ultra-Challenge organise. Along the way, they’ll be sporting the charity merchandise as they take on the scenic hike together.

Elsie’s Story was created in memory of Elsie Dot Stancombe, one of the three victims of Southport tragedy. Initially started up to provide grants for the provision of better bereavement support when the family found it largely inaccessible, Elsie’s Story now delivers a multitude of projects helping both children and large communities. In memory of Elsie, the charity aims to bring joy, support and hope to every child and their loved ones, especially those facing life’s toughest challenges.

For NFU Mutual’s Sarah, this challenge is deeply personal. Living a mere two minutes away from where the tragic incident occurred, and as a mother of a 6-year-old girl herself, she experienced the heartbreak felt by the tight-knit community.

“Having a young daughter myself, it really hit just too close to home,” said Sarah. “It could’ve been her, or her friends, and I just want to do what I can.

“The biggest thing to me is making sure that this charity continues to get support into the future. The next few weeks are going to be so hard for these families, but both the charity and I want to draw focus on how they’ve turned things around and are looking ahead with hope and joy, not focusing on the past.”

In addition to raising awareness, Sarah is hoping to raise some welcome money to enable Elsie’s Story to continue its important work. So far, the team has raised £720 via their JustGiving page, and community support is only continuing to grow. Donations can be made at Sarah Woods is fundraising for Elsie's Story.

In addition to Sarah’s effort’s, NFU Mutual South West Lancashire recently nominated the charity to receive a donation of nearly £8,000 from NFU Mutual’s national ‘Agency Giving Fund’.

This isn’t Sarah’s first charitable venture, either. As a fitness enthusiast, her proactive attitude has previously seen her complete a 40km bike ride from Southport to Manchester, to raise funds for breast cancer research.