ANOTHER chapter in the burgeoning relationship between two of the town’s employee-owned businesses will be written on the roads of Swindon Half Marathon this weekend.

SEQOL and National Self-Build & Renovation Centre began working together off the back of Employee Ownership Day in July and will join forces again on Sunday.

The adult care and support provider’s charitable arm, SEQOL Community Foundation is the headline charity on Sunday after it took over management of the event earlier this year.

Harvey Fremlin, the managing director at NSBRC, and his team saw the perfect opportunity to lend a hand and will now be out on the streets themselves.

“When they stepped into save the half marathon, we saw the perfect opportunity to help them out and continue our relationship,” he said.

“They were initially advertising for race makers and volunteers to help with marshalling and so we knew that was somewhere we could help out.”

SEQOL has proved vital in getting NSBRC going as an employeeowned venture, by providing insight into how its own operation works.

The build centre in Lydiard Fields now hopes to pay back its debt, as nine people already lined up to marshal the race or run in it.

Harvey, 36, is to tackle his sixth Swindon Half Marathon and hopes his last-minute six-week training plan will guide him through to a time under one hour and 50 minutes.

“I’m really looking forward to it.

I was up on Liddington Hill on Sunday) morning doing my last long run before the big day,” he said.

“It’s a great course and once you’re up on Liddington Hill it all opens up and the views of Swindon and terrific.”

Harvey has a fundraising target of £250 in mind for SEQOL Community Foundation and with almost £200 already donated online, it looks as if customers’ donations yesterday might have got him over the line.

Michelle Howard, the chairman of SEQOL Community Foundation, said: “It’s great that local businesses like the NSBRC are wholeheartedly behind Swindon Half Marathon, we really value the support and the sponsorship that is coming through.

“The NSBRC’s generosity in both running and providing race makers is immense and we look forward to cheering Harvey on over the finish line.”

The Swindon Half Marathon takes place on Sunday and comprises the 13.1-mile race, as well as a five-mile multi-terrain race, a two-mile fun run and one kilometre wheelchair race.

To support Harvey and the NSRBC team, visit www.justgiving.

com/Harvey-Fremlin For more information, or to enter, visit www.swindonhalfmarathon.

org.uk.