A woman touched by the plight of children who don’t have proper beds to sleep in has pledged to raise hundreds of pounds for a special charity.

Lisa Skinner, of Huddersfield, has set herself two challenges which involve running a total of 47 miles and climbing over 6,000 ft at the same time.

Lisa will be raising money for the Zarach charity which tackles bed poverty impacting on children in Leeds and Dewsbury.

Lisa will start out with the Calderdale Hike on April 9, a 16-mile run which rises 2,805 ft. Then on September 3 she’ll take on the Ultra Heights Trail around the Colne and Holme valleys. That’s about 31 miles and 3,280 ft of climbing.

Lisa is a keen runner but usually sticks to the roads – and the flatter the better!

“I would never describe myself as a good runner but I am stubborn one so I know I won’t give up until I reach the finish,” she said.

There are no waymarkers on the Calderdale Hike and those following it need to reach checkpoints using a map and compass.

“To say my orienteering skills are not my strongest is an understatement,” said Lisa. “Also, I am dyslexic, so I find learning anything new quite challenging. So, it’s fair to say, the distance is the least of my worries with this one!”

Zarach deliver beds and basics to children in poverty across Leeds and, more recently, Dewsbury to help families in crisis. And here’s the story that inspired Lisa to help:

The postscript to the story above is that not long after the beds had been delivered, the mum met Bex at the school gates and pressed some money into her hand.

When Bex asked what it was for, the mum replied: “I want you to be able to help someone else, like you helped me.”

To support Lisa click HERE or to find out more about Zarach click HERE.