Two Stoke-on-Trent support workers are preparing to run the London Marathon to raise money for a drug and alcohol recovery service supporting people in the city.

Jenny Douglas and Mandy Jones will be taking on the London Marathon to raise money for WithYou, the drug, alcohol and mental health support charity which delivers the Community Drug and Alcohol Service (CDAS) in Stoke-on-Trent in partnership with BAC O'Connor. 

CDAS Stoke-on-Trent provides free and confidential support for people facing drug and alcohol challenges in the city.

Jenny, who served in the army for 24 years and the police force before becoming a support worker at CDAS, explained that the idea of running the marathon came when the team needed to raise money for a defibrillator.

She explained that there has been some incidents in the reception and they had to send "the fastest runner down to the Tesco Express to borrow the defib".

Jenny added: "We heard about the marathon page and thought we could raise the money for a defib by running the London Marathon and it had always been on my bucket list."

Mandy, who worked in the NHS before becoming an outreach worker at CDAS, explained that running a full marathon has long been an ambition for her, and raising money for the service has helped spur on her training.

She said: "I do push myself, knowing that it is for charity. It does make you get up at four in the morning to get ready for a run." 

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Both women praised the work of the team at CDAS and explained why raising money for the charity is so important to them. 

Mandy said: "It's so rewarding but it can be very sad as well at times.

"You're helping somebody to get into accommodation or to get onto a treatment plan, and you watch them grow, knowing that the risks are being managed and they're safe.

"It is challenging, but it's more rewarding than challenging."

Jenny explained that as well as raising money, they also want to raise awareness of the service and challenge some of the stigma that surrounds people facing challenges with drugs or alcohol in Stoke-on-Trent.

She said: "There is still a lot of stigma around people facing challenges with drugs or alcohol.

"Even I would be one of those people if you asked me five years ago, but since I have been here, I know that it is not as simple as just saying 'stop using drugs then'. That's not how it works."

She added: "I don't think people realise the amount of work.

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"Some people come here six, seven, eight times. It's got to be when they're ready to engage.

"It might take some people eight or nine attempts to come through that door because they're at different stages of their life and we can't solve the problems overnight. It's about breaking the cycle."

The team at CDAS are all incredibly proud of Jenny and Mandy and are looking forward to supporting them when they run the marathon in April.

Charlotte McIntyre, Regional Marketing and Communications Officer at CDAS Stoke-on-Trent, said: "Jenny and Mandy are both so dedicated.

"I'm in awe of the marathon but I'm even more in awe of the work they do everyday."

CDAS Stoke-on-Trent provides free and confidential support with drug and alcohol challenges for adults, young people and families.

To learn more about CDAS, and find out how to get support, visit the website here.

To donate, visit Jenny's fundraising page here, or Mandy's fundraising page here.

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