Hats off to brilliant charity champ James Yelland who completed the London Marathon on Sunday in scorching conditions, and smashed his fundraising target in the process!

More than 40,000 people took part in the London Marathon on Sunday, which was the hottest on record with temperatures of 24.1C recorded in St James’ Park. James, who took on the 26.2 mile challenge in aid of Worcestershire Young Carers at YSS, managed to complete the run in a fantastic three hours and 35 minutes, raising £665 in the process - £15 more than his fundraising goal.

He said: “I’m over the moon to have completed the marathon and to have raised so much money for young carers. It was such a hot day and the conditions were really challenging so I’m pleased I was able to complete it in good time.

“I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has made a donation to my fundraising page. I really wanted to raise £650 to support young carers in the county, so I’m thrilled to have raised over and above my goal, and I couldn’t have done it without everyone’s fantastic support.”

James decided to run the race to support Worcestershire Young Carers after learning more about how donations can support young carers from YSS Chief Executive Lorraine Preece. The money he has raised will be used to take a group of young carers on a day trip to the seaside this summer, giving them a break from their caring roles as they play cricket on the beach, have fish and chips on the seafront and enjoy ice cream.

Neil Phillips, Senior Coordinator working on the Worcestershire Young Carers service, said: “We are over the moon to hear of James’ brilliant achievement! Activities like visiting the seaside are so important in giving these young people a well-deserved break, as well as the chance to socialise with their peers and have some fun. It’s thanks to people like James, who go over and above to fundraise and raise awareness, that we are able to support more than 400 young carers every year. From everyone at YSS I’d like to say a huge thank you and well done!” 

If you’d like to make a donation to James’ fundraising page, please click here. To find out more about Worcestershire Young Carers and how you can get involved, please click here.