Villagers join forces to support seriously injured young man

Thrussington residents aged from 10 to 70 will cover the 106 miles of the Leicestershire Round footpath in relay in a bid to generate £7,500 in aid of Will Rudkin.

The 20-year-old lost the use of his legs after sustaining spinal injuries in the car collision.

Providing a personalised active user wheelchair for Will will make help him live more independently.

A relay fundraiser, covering the Leicestershire Round, has been held in Thrussington for the last two years, led by James Bentley and Karl Donaghey.

It raised £10,000 in 2021 for mental health charities and last year’s effort helped save the village’s church tower.

Ahead of the June 24 relay run, James said: “It seems to have become an annual event, which is really gratifying.

“There’s a very strong sense of community here in the village and the run involves people from right across the village while also helping to raise funds through sponsorship and other means for a very worthwhile local cause.

"Will and the Rudkin family are very much at the heart of village life and it is right that we try to help them out during this difficult period.

“There are more runners taking part this year and the first will be setting off a little earlier, at about 1.30am, with groups covering legs all around the perimeter of the county ranging from three to 10 miles. We’re expecting the finish, back on the village green, by around 7pm.”

An evening of fundraising celebrations is planned on the day on The Green with stalls featuring games, food and drinks – many involving Will’s friends from Leicestershire Young Farmers.

James added: “It’s really heart-warming to see how the village and local farming community are supporting Will. Our online fundraising has already raised more than £4,000 and that’s before the relay was even properly announced, so we’ve got a head start on our £7,500 target.”

Click HERE to contribute towards fundraising for the event.