An Enham charity has received thousands of pounds after a double amputee completed a wheelchair marathon on their behalf.

David Williamson completed over 100 laps of the Mountbatten Centre running track in Portsmouth as part of the Enham Trust’s ‘100 Challenge’, which commemorates its centenary year. He covered 26.2 miles in a seven hour epic on July 14, made more difficult by the sweltering heat.

Shortly after completing his 100 Challenge, David said: “That was one of the hardest marathons I’ve ever done. On a running track there is no shelter from the weather, so the heat out here is just relentless and just zaps your energy”.

The Enham Trust launched the 100 Challenge earlier this year, which is asking for 100 members of the public to take part in an activity 100 times to raise funds for the charity’s work with disabled people as it commemorates the 100th anniversary of its founding.

The funds will be a part of a larger “centenary ask”, which aims to provide a number of projects in Enham and beyond. This includes refurbishing the Landale Wilson hall, as well as extending the Enham Trust charity shop and converting part of the space into a tearoom.

David became aware of the challenge through friends, and said that he wanted to support the charity’s “absolutely vital” work.

“I think it’s so important,” he said. “And if Enham weren’t doing it, would the people you support have those opportunities otherwise? – probably not. It comes back full circle to the sports clubs I used to go to and how they’re not there anymore. Because of my experience, I recognise the issue and think it’s really important”.

With his 34th wheelchair marathon, David has raised just shy of £2,000 at the time of writing, and is hoping to raise £3,400 in total to reflect the number of marathons he has completed.

If you would like to contribute to his fundraiser, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/DW34