The Daily Telegraph’s five-year association with the Brain and Spine Foundation, in conjunction with the Flora London Marathon, has now raised more than £500,000.
Former boxer Michael Watson, who defied all odds to complete the 26-mile distance over six gruelling days, captained the 50 Team Telegraph runners with the proceeds going to the charity founded by neurosurgeon Peter Hamlyn, the man who saved Watson’s life.
The newspaper’s sports editor, David Welch, led the tributes to Watson at a reception held at the RAC Club on Saturday while Hamlyn referred to Watson as the “second-biggest inspiration in my life alongside my own father”.
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Watson was handed a letter by Hamlyn to become the charity’s 10th patron.
The charity counts Michael Parkinson, Julia Somerville and Desmond Lynam among its other patrons.
The efforts of Team Telegraph have not only helped to raise awareness of brain and spine disorders but this year’s donations and sponsorship money have added a vital boost to the £350,000 already raised during the first four years of The Daily Telegraph’s initiative.
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For further information, visit the charity’s website www.bbsf.org.uk or www.justgiving.com/michaelwatson.
By Luca Rosi
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