A mother and son from Borth will take on a marathon together to raise money for two charities close to their hearts.

Jenny Williamson and Jonah Evans will take on the challenge of running the Brighton Marathon to raise funds for Amnesty International and Grassroots Preventing Suicide. Jenny will be raising funds for Amnesty and Jonah, Grassroots.

“Raising funds for Amnesty International has become a focus for a local group of like minded people from Borth, said Jenny, who started the annual boxing Day Swim at Borth a few years ago. She is so committed to supporting the cause, that this year she decided to sign up to run a marathon.

“We had a very successful gathering of swimmers on Boxing Day,” Jenny explained. Around 80 people plunged into the sea and an equal number came to watch and support us. We raised over £300 pounds that day.”

The Borth Amnesty Group organise other fund raising events, but the last few years have been challenging, as Jenny explained

“With the Covid pandemic keeping us apart it was impossible to come face-to-face, but once restrictions ended we did manage a very successful kite flying day on the beach, which was great fun. We also have smaller events such as tea parties, illustrated talks and even a Christmas card writing evening where we write to people unjustly imprisoned across the world.”

Explaining more about the work of Amnesty International, she added: “It is the world’s largest human rights organisation. It investigates and exposes abuses as well as making the world a safer place. By educating and encouraging people to transform behaviour, the Amnesty group campaign to end unjust regimes. I feel I can help that cause by running this marathon to raise some funds to support it.”

Amnesty supports the Declaration of Human Rights.

“There are 30 Rights of Freedom set out by the United Nations in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They include the right to freedom from torture, the right to free speech and the right to education. These belong to every single person and cannot be taken away from us. The important point here is that governments and leaders should not be able to pick and choose which rights are respected.”

Jenny’s son Jonah has supported Grassroots Preventing Suicide for a number of years, after the tragic lose of a close friend. He has been training for the marathon since Christmas and feels ready to face the 26-mile challenge.

“It is hard to maintain a good pace but I feel that by 2 April I will be able to finish the course,” he said.

Jenny and Jonah have been encouraging each other to train and are now in the last few weeks before the big day in Brighton, on Sunday, 2 April.

Jonah said: “It starts at 9.45am in Preston Park, just north of the city, and snakes around the centre and along the seafront and we finish the other side of Brighton. I just hope our training will enable us to finish. At least we have each other to support and encourage us.”

To donate to Jenny and Jonah’s marathon challenge, visit www.justgiving­.com/Jonah-Evans2 or www.justgiving.com/fundraising/JennyWilliamson23