Devoted Dale set to go the distance for Acorns - The Worcester Observer

Devoted Dale set to go the distance for Acorns

Worcester Editorial 4th Apr, 2014 Updated: 19th Oct, 2016   0

A DEVOTED father-of-three is set to go the extra mile for a charity which has provided a huge amount of support for his disabled son.

Dale Dyer, of Castle Close, Worcester, will pound the streets of the capital when he runs the London Marathon on Sunday, April 13, in aid of Acorns Children’s Hospice.

The 47-year-old’s eldest son Jack, nine, was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy when he was just a baby and is cared for by the hospice at least once a month.

Dale has taken the gruelling 26-mile challenge on before, raising nearly £9,000 for the charity back in 2008, but has been unsuccessful in his applications to take part again, up until now.




“When I ran it back in 2008, to this day I don’t know why, but I had a problem with the back of both knees so I never did it the justice I thought I could,” he said.

“So I’ve always wanted to run it again because I knew I could do it in a better time. I’ve applied through the ballot every year since and luckily I got through this year.”


So far Dale has raised more than £2,400, just short of his minimum fund-raising target of £2,500 but he is hoping to raise £5,000 for the charity.

“The service they provide is just amazing and makes our lives that little bit easier when Jack goes there,” he added. “It just means we get to do normal stuff, things normal families can do that we don’t get the chance to.

“It means our other two kids, to a degree, kind of get to live a bit of a normal life every now and again and we don’t have to be consciously thinking of Jack’s problems and whether he might be in hospital.”

Taking on the challenge with Dale is neighbour and godfather to their youngest child Mark Bladen, who has grown up knowing the family and is aware of the difficulty they go through.

“We feel part of the family and before we lived here we probably didn’t have a lot of experience of disabilities,” he said.

“Obviously, seeing what Dale and Sharon have to go through makes you appreciate what you have.

“So when you see you can do something to help, you do.

“It’s also an opportunity for me to do it, to take part in the London Marathon, you don’t normally get the chance to do that and hopefully we can raise a lot. We want to do as well as we can.”

The pair have been training three or four times a week since mid-October, and donations can be made at www.virginmoneygiving.com/dyerandbladen.

Business Directory

From plumbers, to restaurants, we can provide you with all the info you need.

Reader Travel

Check out all of the latest reader travel offers to get your hands on some free gifts.

Public Notices

View and download all of the public notices in the Worcester Observer.

Announcements

Weddings, Birthdays, Bereavements, Thank you notices, Marriages and more.