Banbury mother will take on her first marathon to give back to charity that helped her

Lisa Harle-Ward has challenged herself to run the Shakespeare Marathon in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 21 to raise money for Oxfordshire Mind.

Lisa currently works as a service manager at Oxfordshire Mind and used the charity years ago when she faced her own battles with mental health, so she knows first-hand how vital the charity is.

She said: “I’ve had my mental health struggles over the years, and I reached out for support from Oxfordshire Mind about 20 years ago and they were brilliant.

"I work as a service manager for the charity and can see that funding is tight and it gets harder all the time with cuts to wider services and funding and the demand since the pandemic is always growing.

"Many people have told me that the charity is a lifeline for them, especially during the pandemic when they couldn’t access any other face-to-face support and were very isolated.”

Lisa hopes to raise £500, which will go towards providing support, services and advice to people suffering with their mental health.

The Banbury mother is no stranger to running, after having taken it up in 2016 and more seriously in the lockdowns. However, the marathon distance of 26 miles will be considerably further than anything Lisa has ever done.

Lisa said: “I’m excited and nervous in equal measure, it's been really tough training and I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for my partner Adam keeping me motivated.

"He completed his first marathon in 2022, and after I completed the Oxford half marathon last year he managed to convince me to sign up for this race."

Lisa hopes by completing the race she can further inspire those around her to reach out for help so that they can achieve their goals, whether in fitness, wellbeing or life.

She said: "I had support from Oxfordshire Mind years ago and it is good to be able to give back.

"When people hear about my challenges in the past and where I am now, I hope that it inspires them to overcome their challenges and achieve their goals.”

For more information or to donate to Lisa’s fundraiser visit, https://www.justgiving.com/page/lisa-harle-ward-1705943471979