LEDBURY firefighters will be feeling the heat this Sunday, May 12, when they run the Tewkesbury half-marathon in their fire kit.

The 13.1 mile ordeal will raise funds for their chosen good causes, The Firefighters Charity and The Midlands Air Ambulance.

Seven Ledbury firefighters will be in the line-up, including Craig Fletcher, Steve Shellam, Joel Skyers, Pete Fletcher, Tom Watkins, Nerijus Gatautis and Jamie Glover.

Mr Fletcher added: "We will also have my father Glyn Fletcher, Joel Skyers' wife Kirsty Skyers and a Fire service volunteer, Katie Cruickshank.

"We are running the Tewkesbury Half Marathon to raise money for our chosen charities, and to also keep challenging ourselves."

But the firefighters will have experience on their side.

Mr Fletcher said: "We have taken part in a few other challenges such as the 10KM Mud Runner at Eastnor and Halo Furlong Fury 5km obstacle race both of which we completed in kit.

"We are a retained station so we all have full time jobs as well as being on call for the Fire service. I am a teaching assistant at a school in Hereford so only on call evenings and weekends. I have been retained almost 10 years and have done a few events to raise money for the fire fighters charity."

He added: "I organised a group of firefighters who completed the Mud runner event at Eastnor which raised around £600 and last year we completed the Furlong fury which raised approximately £800. This time round we wanted to raise money for another charity, as well as the Firefighters' Charity.

"I chose the Air ambulance because they are an absolutely vital part of the emergency services and with out them many of our casualties would not have received the vital trauma care required to survive their injuries."

And Mr Fletcher has a personal reason to value the air ambulance.

He said: "My family have personally used these amazing trauma care doctors when my brother Colin Fletcher was unfortunate enough to be involved in road traffic accident.

"Unfortunately his injuries were too significant even for these guys to manage, but I am in no doubt they were the best people for the job and did their utmost to save his life.

"I have worked alongside the doctors and paramedics and they are amazing at what they do and deserve all the funding they can receive , one day you may be unfortunate enough to need them but fortunate enough to get the best trauma care you could get in a very fast time."

The firefighters have been training weekly with Ledbury Harriers.

Mr Fletcher said: "They have been amazingly helpful."

Donations: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/craig-fletcher12

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/craig-fletcher11