Michael Ransome: fundraising big-hitter
For many, the challenge of taking on the London marathon and fundraising a significant sum of money for a charity is a once in a lifetime goal. For Michael Ransome, a member of Metros (a Pinner-based running club), this will be the sixth time he has run the world famous race, and the sixth time he will have raised some serious money for charity. This year, for the second time in a row, he will be fundraising to support Aspire, a national charity that provides practical help to people who have been paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury.
Michael ran for Aspire last year and managed to raise close to £6,000, an enormous amount which made him by far the charity’s top fundraiser. This year the fundraising big-hitter has set his target to £3,500 and is well on his way to meeting it. What makes this so phenomenal is that whilst the more long distance events you run, the easier these tend to become, the opposite is often true of the fundraising. This is because there is more pressure to find new supporters and new ideas to raise money, making Michael’s success all the more impressive.  
Through one way or another Michael came to know several people who had been affected by a spinal cord injury, including a former co-worker, and a number of friends of his daughter, Selina. Selina has worked as a physiotherapist in the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre (LSCIC) in Stanmore, as well as other specialist spinal units, for almost a decade; as a result Michael has come to know a lot about Spinal Cord Injury. In addition this has also given Michael an insight into the workings of Aspire, which is based at the same complex as the LSCIC.
“My daughter Selina is a physiotherapist in the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre. The stories she shares of the determination of the patients and the passion and dedication of the physiotherapists has made Aspire my choice of charity to support for a second year in a row.”
You can support Michael and Aspire here: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/MichaelWRansome