A sales director has been inspired to take on the London Marathon for charity for the first time by his wife and her hearing dog.
Ben Johnstone, 46, of Irthlingborough, hopes to raise £2,500 for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. The charity has provided a hearing dog called Sophie for his deaf wife, Vanessa.
With support from family, friends, work colleagues and his clients at Verve Workspace in Northamptonshire, Ben has so far raised more than £1,600 in sponsorship.
He said: “I want to run for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People because Sophie has made such a difference to our lives. Hearing dogs provide invaluable support to deaf people. They increase people’s independence and confidence, offer companionship and reduce feelings of loneliness. I also want to highlight the issues faced by deaf people every day, including communication challenges, social isolation and the fact that, sadly, many deaf people face discrimination in the workplace. I’m far from being a runner, and my training has been hard and unearthed issues I didn’t know about, including that I’m flat-footed, have one leg longer than the other and two pronounced discs in my back. It’s been challenging, and I’m nervous about doing the marathon, but I won’t give up as so many people are supporting me.”
Ben is grateful to everyone who has sponsored him so far, including his Verve Workspace clients.
He said: “I joined Verve Workspace in 2020 during Covid, wondering if people would be returning to their offices. I’m thrilled to say they have returned, and because the way companies are working has changed, they’re looking to create more flexible working environments, which is very exciting. I’ve worked with some lovely clients, including Premier Paper and Iron Mountain, who, with our help, have created amazing places for their staff to work.”
Verve Workspace Managing Director Steve Allan said Ben’s colleagues will be cheering him on during the London Marathon on Sunday, April 27.
He said: “Ben has brought Sophie into our office a few times to meet our team, and she’s a well-trained and calming dog. Ben has been training so hard for the London Marathon, and we’re so proud to support him. We’ll be cheering him on all the way.”
Hearing Dogs for Deaf People currently has more than 1,100 working hearing dog partnerships across the UK and helps thousands more people through its helpdesk and support groups. It costs the charity £40,000 to train and support each hearing dog through their lifetime. To find out more about Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, visit https://www.hearingdogs.org.uk/
To sponsor Ben, go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/ben-johnstone-1719842097150
