The Great British Bake Off Semi-Finalist takes on Bath Half for charity Jessie May

Star baker Briony May supports children’s charity through Half Marathon

The Great British Bake Off Semi-Finalist Briony May will be swapping her apron for a running vest as she takes on this year’s Bath Half Marathon in support of charity Jessie May.

The Bristolian Bake Off star is preparing to take on the challenge on March 17th to raise money for Jessie May, whose nurses provide at-home support to families caring for a terminally ill child in Swindon and the surrounding area.

Briony, 34, hopes to raise £5,000 for the charity and is fundraising through her JustGiving page here as she trains ahead of the big day.

The local Bake Off star said: “Jessie May is an incredible charity and as a mother I can't even imagine what the families and children must go through on a day to day basis. I just want to make a contribution that will hopefully make a difference.

I started running in February 2016 to help with my health - both physical and mental. I did the NHS running plan ‘Couch to 5k’, then a 10k in the July, and then the Bristol Half in the September. I did the Bath Half last year, but around Bristol as it was cancelled due to snow. I love running – it’s a big part of my life now!”

“If you can make a donation to Jessie May, please do and support local families.”

Briony, who shares the recipes of her favourite bakes on her blog ‘Briony Bakes’ and YouTube channel ‘Briony May Bakes’, lives in Bristol with her husband Steve and daughter Nora.

When asked for useful running tips for beginners, she said: “Just go for it! You should never think you can't run. I've never been a runner, I was never athletic or good at sport. But I started small and worked my way up, it was manageable and I'll never look back!”

Community Fundraiser at Jessie May, Helen Mackie, said: “As a Bristol-based charity, we’re thrilled our local star baker Briony has signed up to run in support of Jessie May! Briony wowed us during the latest series of The Great British Bake Off, and now we’re excited to see her take on a completely different kind of challenge; out of the kitchen, and on to the track. We’re extremely touched Briony has chosen to support us in this way.

“We rely heavily on fundraising efforts like this to ensure no family caring for a terminally ill child has to wait for support from a Jessie May nurse.

“We’ve been astounded at the response to the Bath Half from supporters this year and have amazingly already filled every space for the race! We can’t wait to cheer on Briony and all our other fantastic Bath Half runners in March. We welcome everyone to come along and root our fundraisers on too!

“If you’re keen to take on a challenge in 2019 – maybe you’ve set yourself a get fit New Year’s Resolution? – there are plenty of other running challenges you can get involved with while raising much-needed funds for Jessie May, including the Bristol 10k and Bristol Half. If you can run for Jessie May please do get in touch with our Fundraising Team on 0117 9582174 or [email protected] so we can thank you and provide a purple Jessie May running vest!”

To make a donation and sponsor Briony, visit her JustGiving page at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/BrionyMay.

To find out more about Jessie May and how you can fundraise for the charity, visit www.jessiemay.org.uk

To find out more about the Bath Half Marathon, visit www.bathhalf.co.uk