Bluebell Wood’s Barnsley and Rotherham fundraiser put through his paces in public

A member of Bluebell Wood’s fundraising team amped up the pressure as he trains for the London Marathon by spending a day grinding out the miles in full view of supermarket shoppers.

Training for a marathon already takes an incredible amount of determination and commitment – but never one to shy away from a challenge Jason Gossop decided to add an extra level by putting himself through his paces in public!

Shoppers at the Tesco supermarket in Wath-upon-Dearne quickly got behind Jason – Bluebell Wood’s Regional Fundraiser for Barnsley and Rotherham –  and gave him plenty of encouragement as well as generous donations to help local children and families.

“So many people do amazing things for Bluebell Wood and other fantastic causes and I really wanted to get a flavour of what these wonderful people experience,” said dad-­of-one Jason, from Rotherham.

“It did cross my mind when I set up at 8am that people would wonder what on earth I was doing, but I need not have worried as everyone was so generous and keen to support me and the volunteers who were kindly lending their time.

“The whole event left me with a new-found respect and gratitude for the tens of thousands of people up and down the country who do these kinds of things for great causes.”

Jason, who joined the Bluebell Wood team earlier this, spent eight gruelling hours on the treadmill along with a team of dedicated volunteers, raising £400.00 for the charity through their collective efforts.

“I’d like to say a huge thank you to Tesco for hosting me, the brilliant volunteers for making sure it all went smoothly and all the shoppers who supported me and offered kind words through the day.

“If you’re from Barnsley or Rotherham and you’d like to take on your own challenge for Bluebell Wood, I’d be delighted to hear from you and help you get going.”

Fundraisers old and new can contact Jason by emailing [email protected] and more information can be found on Bluebell Wood’s website here https://www.bluebellwood.org/