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Tara runs London Marathon for NSPCC

News
Ashley Wilkins
15 Jan 2025

A YPO staff member is taking part in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by running this year’s London Marathon, aiming to raising over £2,000 for the NSPCC, after witnessing the charity’s life-changing impact for children in the local area.

Entries to run the 2025 London Marathon for NSPCC were at an all-time-high. The charity received 54 applicants for every one place (850,000 entries) and running novice Tara Charlesworth was awarded a spot despite the odds.

Tara, 37, from Wrenthorpe, Wakefield, who is a business manager at YPO, will take part in her first competitive race and marathon in April. She is dedicating the challenge to the incredible work she has witnessed the charity achieve first hand.

As an avid supporter of the NSPCC, Tara has volunteered as a mentor to young children in need of respite from challenging home lives, accompanying them to specialisedsupport services, engaging in recreational activities, even attending the birth of a baby. This had a profound impact on her understanding of the difficulties facing young people up and down the UK and the importance of the services available to them.

However, it was a visit to the charity’s central hub in Leeds last year that left Tara in awe of the team’s commitment to children in the local area. As well as the vital work that the charity always carries out to support young people and their parents, it is currently running important online safety campaigns in Leeds and Doncaster. This inspired her to take on the world-famous challenge.

Tara feels a strong connection to the organisation’s work, she said, “I have always supported the NSPCC in various ways due to the incredible work they do to ensure the next generation of children has the support they need in our society.

“My visit to the NSPCC central hub was inspiring and sobering. I gained insight into their management of key projects like ChildLine and Pantosaurus, as well as tackling challenging issues including sexual abuse and prenatal therapy for anxious mothers.

“This truly opened my eyes to the breadth of the NSPCC’s work and the long waiting lists for their services, which motivates me to raise as much money as I can for this incredible organisation.”

Tara’s passion for the charity has now translated into her current role as business manager for education and office supplies at YPO, where she has played an instrumental role in NSPCC’s product partnership. The organisation has sold 8 million glue sticks to schools nationwide to date, of which a portion of sales are donated directly to the charity.

For Tara, this marathon also signifies a huge personal challenge. Reflecting on this, she added, “After navigating a difficult two years marked by the loss of two young family members, I am eager to regain a sense of self and achievement. This journey will provide me with a clear focus and determination to tackle something truly immense.”
Simon Hill, Managing Director at YPO added: “The bravery and resilience that Tara has shown is truly admirable, channelling personal challenges she has faced into running the London Marathon, raising money for an incredible charity.

“At YPO, our relationship with NSPCC is deeply treasured by everyone who works here. In fact, we recently celebrated a milestone donation of over £100,000 for the organisation! We’re delighted and extremely proud to see Tara flying the flag for the charity’s dedication to making a positive impact for our future generations. We’re with you every step of the way Tara, and we wish you the best of luck for your training and the marathon!”

Jo Burton, NSPCC Corporate Partnerships Manager for Yorkshire and the North East, said: “We’re hugely grateful to Tara and to everyone at YPO for all their support throughout our partnership. Your fundraising will go towards the vital work our practitioners, volunteers, Childline counsellors and campaigns teams carry out here in Yorkshire and across the UK.

“Currently, we are running important online safety campaigns in Leeds and Doncaster, as well as regular work across the region to support parents through Look, Say, Sing, Play, and sharing our Listen up, Speak up workshops with parents, carers, businesses and community groups throughout Yorkshire and the Humber.”
To support Tara and raise vital funds for the NSPCC, visit her page here.

Ashley Wilkins YPO

Author

Ashley Wilkins

PR and Communications Officer for Public Sector

YPO

Ashley is a PR and Communications officer for the public sector side of the organisation. This involves supporting communications to local authorities, emergency services, housing, NHS and the wider public sector. Ashley is responsible for assisting with PR and media relations, stakeholder communications and public affairs, content strategy and creation, research, as well as corporate comms such as strategic partnerships, sponsorship, events, awards and delivering the annual report.