A police officer from Harrogate has launched a raffle for his treadmill – worth £999 – to raise money for a road safety charity.

Sgt Paul Cording of North Yorkshire Police embarked on a running challenge in January to raise money for Road Safety Talks.

The charity was started by Lauren Doherty from Knaresborough who was left paralysed by an accident in 2008.

But after he came down with covid, Paul was unable to leave the house to complete the challenge.

He was then generously donated a treadmill by Exercise.co.uk and is now raffling it off to raise even more money for the charity.

Roads Policing Sgt Paul Cording told Your Harrogate:

“David and all the team at Exercise.co.uk were fantastic.

“Literally the same day I got covid, they came round and I thought were lending me this treadmill to complete the challenge, but as it transpired, they very kindly said I could keep it and auction it for Road Safety Talks.

The treadmill allowed Paul to complete his Red January challenge and raise more than £2,000 for the charity.

The starting price will be £250, with all proceeds going to Road Safety Talks.

To make your bid for the treadmill, get in touch with us at Your Harrogate on 01423 740993 or email enquiries@yourharrogate.co.uk.

In 2008, Lauren Doherty was involved in a life-changing road traffic accident, which left her paralysed and needing round-the-clock care.

Having experienced the devastation that a lack of concentration could cause, Lauren now helps others learn the consequences of road safety.

Via her website roadsafetytalks.co.uk, Lauren speaks of her accident and the effect it has had on her life.

“She has made such a positive impact on road safety, not just in the Harrogate district but across the country and globally now as well.

“As a Roads Policing Sergeant, that’s my remit – to reduce the amount of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.

“The fact that she goes into schools and helps share this message, kids will then talk to their friends and parents, so its far more wide-reaching than just the school itself.”

Lauren was recognised for her work around road safety last year when she was awarded within the Queen’s 2021 Birthday Honours List.

Find out more about the charity here.

Read more local stories from Your Harrogate here.

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