A DEDICATED volunteer has gone the extra mile – quite literally – for a local homelessness charity.
Matthew Farrington-Farnsworth has completed his first-ever marathon and sprinted past his fundraising target for Emmaus Mossley.
It took the Stalybridge resident exactly four-and-a-half hours to get around the Manchester Marathon course and over the finish line on April 27.
Following months of training, Matthew described the day as ‘the experience of a lifetime’.
He added: “After a certain point, it was all about what I was doing it for that kept me going. I’m so grateful for all the generosity shown by people who donated – it really spurred me on.
“Emmaus Mossley is a charity that is close to mine and my husband’s heart. It has been a part of our lives for 20 years. It’s a great charity and the people supported by Emmaus work so hard to keep it going – they definitely deserve something.”
Matt has so far raised more than £1,000 for Emmaus Mossley – which is double his original aim.
The funds will go towards ongoing work to overhaul and refurbish the charity’s community kitchen and dining room.
Emmaus Mossley is home to 26 people at any one time, with each person supported to build their confidence, self-esteem, skills and work experience to achieve their goals.
The charity’s CEO Alison Hill said: “We’re all in awe of Matt’s dedication and very kind support, not just his marathon fundraising efforts but also through his weekly volunteering within our Secondhand Superstore.
“On behalf of everyone at Emmaus Mossley, I would like to give huge thanks to Matt for this great achievement and thank everyone who has donated to his fundraiser.”
Emmaus Mossley is currently appealing for people to walk, run, cycle, swim or move any way they like to cover at least 26.2 miles during May for The Emmaus Big Marathon Month. To sign up, visit https://emmaus.org.uk/event/big-marathon-month-2025/
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