A NURSE is taking part in the London Marathon to raise money for a first-aid charity.
Mum-of-three Zoe Brown, from Woodville, said she wanted to raise money for St John Ambulance because, as a practice nurse, she appreciated the importance of learning basic first-aid.
The 39-year-old has been fund-raising and smashed her £1,625 target by hosting a bingo night which raised more than £1,200 and organising a bag-packing session at a supermarket that brought in £552.
She said: "I've been known to do mad things at milestone birthdays – at 30, for instance, I went back to university to train as a nurse. And it is my ambition to run a marathon before I am 40.
"St John Ambulance is a fantastic charity which means a lot to me and, as a nurse, I know the importance of first-aid skills and how they can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.
"My parents have also recently had a friend whose life was saved thanks to CPR, so we understand how important first aid can be."
Zoe will be among nearly 200 runners fund-raising for St John at this year's Virgin Money London Marathon, on April 13.
More than 1,000 of the charity's volunteers, including eight from Derbyshire, will also be on duty on the day – with about one for every 35 metres of the 26.2 mile course. To support Zoe, visit www.justgiving.com/Zoe-Brown39.
