Inspector set to run 1,500 miles across South Africa

21.09.11

An RSPCA inspector is set to run an amazing 1,500 miles across South Africa in a harrowing challenge to raise money for one of our wildlife centres.

Starting on Saturday, 8 October 2011, Emma Timmis plans to run 25 miles a day for 60 days from Durban to Cape Town.

Emma, who recently completed her training and became a fully-fledged RSPCA inspector, hopes to raise at least £15,000 (£10 per mile) in aid of our Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre in Nantwich, Cheshire.

Running the Freedom Trail

Emma, who lives in Sandbach, Cheshire, said:

I’ll be running a route known as the Freedom Trail, more commonly used by mountain bikers. It’s quite a mountainous route, and I’ll be running on tracks and trails.

I believe only one other person has ever completed this challenge and if I manage it I will be the first woman ever to have done it.

I’ve always wanted to do a fundraising challenge like this, and really admire the RSPCA’s work, so it’s great to be able to support it in this way.

Accompanied by her brother, who will cycle the route, Emma plans to run for six hours a day and spend each night in a tent.

Supporting our work with wildlife

All of the money raised will go to Stapeley Grange's ‘equipment fund’. The centre desperately needs to raise £4,000 to renovate their mammal sheds which house a variety of orphaned and rescued wildlife casualties.

A new anaesthetic machine is also needed as well as oxygen concentrators, matting for outside pools where hundreds of waterfowl are cared for each year, plus radio tracking equipment. This is on top of the basic equipment needed to feed and house the animals.

Emma added:

I’ve chosen to raise money specifically for Stapeley Grange as I think people give money for cats and dogs and wildlife is sometimes forgotten.

The RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre team is amazing – I take injured wildlife there almost every day and they do such a fantastic job to look after them.

Support Emma's challenge

Please, support Emma’s challenge

• visit www.justgiving.com/emma-hoskins
  or
• text EMMA50 plus the amount you want to donate to 70070.

You can follow Emma’s training and find out more about the challenge on her blog and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/runemma.