A MUM from Droitwich who suffered from depression is to run the London Marathon to raise £500 for a mental health charity.

Sam Charlwood will join more than 40,000 other runners when she takes to the streets of the capital on April 22 to raise funds for MIND – The Mental Health Charity.

Having lost two-and-a-half stone through Weight Watchers, she started running four years ago, enrolling on Droitwich Athletics Club’s annual Couch to 5k programme.

Mrs Charlwood, who went to Droitwich Spa High School, said: “Not only was it [the marathon] on my bucket list and I love a challenge, I thought why not raise money at the same time? Mental health is something so close to my heart.

“I have suffered depression and stress and take medication daily which not many people know, but through my running it's helped and is my therapy.

“With this I want to raise as much as I can for such a worthwhile cause and make running the London marathon not just a tick off my bucket list.”

Mrs Charlwood said before starting the Couch to 5k nine-week programme, her “exercise was sporadic” due to holding down a full-time career in the NHS and running a family.

“After sticking with the nine-week programme I was delighted to say I could actually run 5k and enjoyed the whole experience so much, I then started running with Droitwich AC,” she continued.

“I caught the bug and in the last four years have run various 10k races and a number of half marathons. “My best being the iconic Great North Run last year in which I ran not only for my club but I raised money for MIND.”

You can sponsor Mrs Charlwood on her just giving page justgiving.com/sam-charlwood1.