Mother-of-three pounding pavements to help raise money for charity

Anna, aged 50, from Halesowen, is the daughter of 74-year-old Tom Stanton, one half of the busking duo The Blue Granits, from Sandwell, who are well-known across the Black Country for their fundraising efforts.

However, the pandemic rules have restricted Tom and his fellow singer and songwriting artist Billy Spakemon, aged 69 also from Sandwell, from raising funds for charity through their busking sessions.

Now Anna hopes to help the duo in their fundraising efforts by running more than two miles every day during March.

She hopes the money raised by her 3.2 kilometre runs will boost the money the duo hope to donate towards Prostrate Cancer and Breast Cancer care at Russells Hall Hospital.

Billy, aged 69, who used to work in the language department at Aston University and who also has a show on Radio Black Country, has already joined Anna on one of her daily runs and hopes to do so again before she completes her challenge.

He said: "Through busking Tom and I have already raised more than £8,000 for the Georgina Cancer Care Unit.

"As soon as restrictions are lifted we hope to get back to busking next month.

"We really wanted to raise funds but because of the pandemic were at a loss as how to do this as we could not get out there.

"We have been busking for four years and been connected with the hospital for three years.

"Tom's daughter, Anna, realised that we could not raise money through busking because of the pandemic and she offered to run to help our fundraising.

"We have raised a lot of money in the past through our busking but have not been able to do so and we were delighted when Anna said she would take on this challenge."

Anna, an area co-ordinator with the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said: "The challenge is to do a total of 100 kilometres during the month of March.

"I have been running around my local area in Halesowen everyday and Billy joined me one day and has said he will do so again before the end of the month."

Anyone wanting to donate can do so through JustGiving pages on Facebook set up by both Anna and her father.