'Virtual' Colour Runner will give locals the chance to paint the Town red, green, yellow…

A charity that organises a colourful, annual, running event in Staffordshire, has announced that it's launching a 'Virtual' version of the run to encourage increased participation across the UK, and help the charity to celebrate its 20th Anniversary. Caudwell Children, the national charity that provides practical and emotional support to disabled children and their families, launched Colour Runner in 2015. Now in its 6th year the 5km, or 2km family fun run will take place in Central Forest Park in Stoke-on-Trent, on Saturday 4 April, 2020. Colour Runner sees participants blasted with dry, corn based paints as they make their way around the course. This year's event will be part of Caudwell Children's #Team20 celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of the charity's foundation.

Throughout 2020 Caudwell Children is encouraging people to engage with the charity in a number of ways, like taking part in a fundraising event, volunteering for the charity, or raising awareness of the charity's services, in order to join their #Team20. "This is a wonderful way of extending the run across the UK," explained Kate Sherwin from Caudwell Children. "We know that there are thousands of people in villages and Towns up and down the country who can't get to Stoke On Trent because it's too far to travel, or perhaps they're involved in a family event. Our new virtual run will allow participants to get involved at a time and place that is suitable for them, allowing virtual runners to enjoy all the multi coloured fun of Colour Runner even if they're on their honeymoon, at a wedding, or watching a Premier League football match on the 4 April 2020."

Once participants have registered for the run they will be sent two packs of paint together with their official running number. They then have a month, from the date of the actual run, to provide evidence that they have completed their 'Virtual' Colour Runner. Kate added that:- "Once we have received a picture, or film footage from their phone, showing them in their running kit covered in paint, along with a screenshot of their route, we'll send them their unique Colour Runner 2020 medal. It's a must have, collectable, piece of memorabilia to commemorate your run and treasure forever."

Kate says Colour Runner is built around having fun rather than breaking record times. As she concluded: "Times aren't recorded and participants can run, walk, hop, or skip around their 5km or 2km course at a pace suitable for them. It's designed with the idea that those with wheelchairs, pushchairs or dogs can get involved so it's suitable for the whole family. We're all extremely excited about where our virtual runners will come from, but you can rest assured that whether it be Lossiemouth, in the North of Scotland, Pontypridd, in South Wales, or Cirencester in the English Cotswolds, we'd love to see people painting their community red, green, yellow, pink or purple to support disabled children and celebrate Caudwell Children's 20th Anniversary."

For further information and to register for the event visit the event's website or ring:- 01782 433755.

Local and Mayoral Elections to be delayed!

THE local and mayoral elections in England will be postponed for a year to May 2021 due to the Coronavirus outbreak. This will affect more than 118 English Councils, the London Assembly and for 7 English Regional Mayoral Elections, including our Liverpool City Region. The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson took this decision, because the polls would have coincided with the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak. This announcement on 14 March 2020 comes after the Electoral Commission called for the elections to be put off until the Autumn, a demand that was later backed by Labour. The Cabinet Office has since added that it would be bringing forward legislation and would ensure the Welsh authorities had the same powers. The last time UK Elections were delayed was back in 2001, due to the foot and mouth outbreak, pushing them back by a month. Responding to the Government’s announcement that this year’s local elections will be postponed for 1 year, Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA), said:- "The LGA has been raising a number of issues with government including the possible impact of Coronavirus on local elections. The swift decision is very helpful. Councils will now continue to put all of their efforts into supporting their local communities as the nation tackles COVID-19.” Also, the Acting Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the move to delay the polls was the "right decision."