A very big thank you and well done to Naomi Maxwell who, with her mum, ran the Bristol half marathon recently completing the course in 2 hours and 21 miutes and so far raising £200 for SBA The Solicitors’ Charity. You can still make a donation right here…

Naomi Maxwell and her mum shortly before their half marathon

Naomi writes…

After completing the 10k race a year ago, I was looking for the next challenge, I decided that I would enter the Bristol Half Marathon. I wanted to do it for a charity as I knew that this would spur me on in my training and running on the day.

“I was very grateful that there was someone there to help as it would have been hard due to the timing of my father’s illness, and thankfully his recovery, for him to have been able to help fund my studies.”

I really wanted to run for a charity that was personal to me. The SBA is a charity that is very close to my heart as it enabled me to go to University as well as help my father financially when he was diagnosed with Cancer over ten years ago and subsequently lost his business .

The SBA wrote to me in my last year of college offering me financial help to go to university. The SBA was aware that due to my father’s ill health that I may not have the money to go to university.

My father had worked very hard as a Solicitor and still does and this is something that I have always admired. So I was very grateful that there was someone there to help as it would have been hard due to the timing of my father’s illness, and thankfully his recovery, for him to have been able to help fund my studies.

In my first year the grant helped me to fund my first computer and in my final year I was given more than the first two years which gave me enough money to not work, as much as I previously had, so that I could concentrate on my dissertation. Without this financial help I am almost certain that I would not have had the opportunity to go to University.

In 2005 I graduated UWE, Bristol, with a Bachelor of Honors Degree in English.
Now I would like to give something back to the SBA by raising awareness for them and hopefully raise some money for their cause.