Cheshire man conquers Virtual London Marathon for the National Deaf Children’s Society

Holmes Chapel resident John Paul ‘JP’ Morris was among 28 runners who took on the once-in-a-lifetime Virtual London Marathon, in support of the National Deaf Children’s Society on Sunday, 4 October.

JP, who works for Greater Manchester Police Service, successfully completed the marathon distance of 26.2 miles and has exceeded his fundraising target of £2,000, with over £2,320 raised to date.

JP was inspired to take on the challenge because he is profoundly deaf himself and, in his words, “because of my experience I want to provide equal rights for the deaf community.” 

In place of the traditional route through London, JP ran five times around his home village of Holmes Chapel, accompanied by his friend and fellow runner Andrea Beaton. JP has just relocated to nearby Sandbach.

JP said:

“People wrote me off and didn't think anything was possible for me. The National Deaf Children’s Society helped my late mum with me. It’s a fantastic charity and nice to give something back.

“I love to see barriers reduced for deaf people. I really hope when I’m old I can look back and say I hope I made the difference – that would be wonderful.”

Claire Lubbock, of the National Deaf Children’s Society’s fundraising team, added:

“I want to say a huge thank you to JP for taking on this genuinely one-off version of the London Marathon for the National Deaf Children’s Society. We are so proud of you.

“It’s through wonderful efforts like this that we are able to keep on doing what we do, supporting the UK’s 50,000 deaf children and their families, now and into the future.”

• Those wishing to make a donation can still do so by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/JOHN-MORRIS1111
• There are over 50,000 deaf children in the UK, with over 45,000 in England alone. There are 243 deaf children in Cheshire East and 239 in Cheshire West and Chester.

The National Deaf Children’s Society:

• The National Deaf Children’s Society is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and their families.
• Three babies are born deaf in the UK every day.
• There are more than 50,000 deaf children in the UK. We help them thrive by providing impartial, practical and emotional support, and by challenging governments and society to meet their needs.
• For more information on our work please, visit www.ndcs.org.uk.
• For further support, parents, deaf children and deaf young people can contact us via our Helpline on 0808 800 8880 (voice and text), on InterpreterNow (interpreternow.co.uk/ndcs), by email helpline@ndcs.org.uk or through online chat at www.ndcs.org.uk/livechat.

Pictured - Holmes Chapel resident, John Paul ‘JP’ Morris with fellow runner Andrea Beaton.