SERIOUSLY ill and disabled children are set to benefit from a 5k fun run that saw dozens of people putting their best foot forward.

About 80 people took part in the fundraiser in the Drakes Way area yesterday, which was organised by used car retailer CarShop, to raise money for children’s charity Dreamflight.

Dreamflight takes 192 children from across the country to Florida every year with a team of medical professionals for the holiday of a lifetime.

Cathie Kemp, marketing manager at CarShop, said: “It is the first year we have done this. Our goal is to raise £3,500 because that is the cost of sending one child from this region on the trip.

“We are doing this at all five CarShops across the country and we are aiming to pay for one child from each of the regions.

“We have been here for six years now and we have really great customers. We want to give something back through a worthy cause.”

Dreamflight takes 16 children from each of 12 UK regions to Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Sea World.

The charity needs between £800,000 and £1m every year to take the children on the trip.

The local fundraisers set off from CarShop in Drakes Way at 9am yesterday.

Among them was Sarah Gardner, 44, of Purton, and her 15-year-old daughter, Megan, who is a pupil at Crowdys Hill School.

Megan, who has complex medical needs and learning difficulties, went on one of the trips to Florida last year.

“Megan thought it was absolutely fantastic – she still talks about it now,” said Sarah.

“It was really fantastic for her to get away. She loved it.

“We do as much as we can now for Dreamflight. My husband ran the Brighton Marathon this year as well. With both events we have raised about £1,500 for the charity.”

Liz Aylward, a senior nurse and a volunteer with Dreamflight, said: “We hugely rely on events like this and small donations.

“We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part. A lot of the children wouldn’t get the opportunity to go on a trip like that normally, either because of medical needs or other circumstances.

“It gives them a chance to get some independence. It is about giving them a bit of fun but also about giving them confidence and raising their self-esteem.”

The first to cross the finish line yesterday was Andrew Golding, 32, of Bristol, who works for a supplying partner of CarShop.

He said: “It is a really worthwhile cause for children who need the opportunities that Dreamflight can give them. I think it is fantastic to get all the children together in that environment.”