A BLANDFORD teacher who took part in this year’s London Marathon has almost doubled the amount of money he was hoping to raise for charity.
Head of Year 12 at The Blandford School, Jason Langford, set himself a target of raising £250 for the North Dorset Railway to support volunteers who are rebuilding a section of railway line in north Dorset.
Despite winning a place at the London Marathon through a ballot which meant he was not required to raise money for charity, Jason decided to launch his own crowdfunding campaign, which saw £430 raised in total.
This money will help the volunteers with their ambition to carry passengers at the railway in 2026.
Jason said: “Training with a friend, it occurred to us that I could choose to support one very particular cause.
“The railway at Shillingstone Station is run entirely by a dedicated team of volunteers, and is very dear to me and my running friends.
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“During the 20 years since its inception, we have walked, run and cycled by it countless times.
“The kindness that they have shown me on many a long run and/or bike ride along the North Dorset trailway speaks of their inherent generosity and community spirit, and I wanted to give something back.
“The volunteers are the very best kind of people – unfailingly and automatically generous with their time and enthusiasm.
“I know next to nothing about sidings, bogies and gauges, but I know that these are good people whose work brings joy to others.
“In the many training runs that we did, the station has become a welcome, sometimes essential, stopping point, and the café staff are always unquestioningly accommodating of our requests for a refill of water.”
Volunteers are needed to join the café team at the station, particularly if they can spare a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday once a month, and would also be helping to continue raising funds for the station’s future development.
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