A TEAM of mental health nurses is set to tackle the Swindon Half Marathon later this year for Brighter Futures.

Staff at Sandalwood Court, in Highworth Road, will run the 13 miles to raise cash for a cause that is close to their hearts.

Ward manager Pam Crystabelle, who has worked at Sandalwood’s Applewood House for the past 10 years, will not let fear stand in her way.

“I was volunteered to do it,” Pam confessed. “I’m not a runner – I can’t even run upstairs. I’m feeling terrified about it, but at the same time I am determined to do it.”

Around 13 members of staff have signed up for the challenge so far, though they are confident they can entice a few more to take part before the starting pistol fires in September.

Pam said: “We have a couple of strong runners on the staff. They suggested doing it and it just went from there. We will be doing it as a team and, although I am apprehensive, I am also looking forward to it.

“I’m very determined and I will have to do plenty of training. I have been looking at various training plans and I want one that suits my lifestyle. I’ll probably get together with friends to go on walks, as well as taking the dog out.”

Speaking about why the team chose to run for Brighter Futures, Pam said: “We definitely wanted to do something for a cancer charity. We lost a really good nurse a few years ago to cancer and everyone seems to have been affected by it in some way.

“Brighter Futures is really important. People are burdened with travelling to Oxford every day for treatment and we want to bring radiotherapy to Swindon as soon as we possibly can. It’s something we feel very passionate about.”

The brave band will soon start collecting sponsors before the intense real training gets underway.

Another one of the staff members taking part, 32-year-old Gareth Jones, who has worked at Sandalwood for the past two years, said: “We are all looking forward to it and most of us have started training already.

“We have a real mix of abilities – I’m probably somewhere in the middle – but we’ll be doing it as a team and we’ll get each other over the line.

“I think it’s really important to support Brighter Futures because so many people who have to go to Oxford for treatment. We work closely with the people at the hospital and we wanted to give something back to them.”

The Swindon Half Marathon will take place on September 3. The new route, which will take runners past the town’s landmarks, will be a ?at and fast course which will make it ideal for beginners and elites alike.

For more information, log on to www.newswindonhalf.co.uk.

So far £1,424,725 has been raised for Brighter Futures. The team is very grateful for every single donation and wish to thank everyone for their support.

To donate you can cut out and send in the attached form or log on to www.brighterfuturesgwh.nhs.uk.