Marathon challenge ends at Powys' St Melangell’s Church

Buffy and Tom Buckman will be running in Powys next week. <i>(Image: Buffy and Tom Buckman.)</i>
Buffy and Tom Buckman will be running in Powys next week. (Image: Buffy and Tom Buckman.)
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A marathon challenge with a difference will end in Powys next Friday.

Buffy and Tom Buckman, a husband-and-wife team from Gloucestershire, are taking on the challenge of running five marathons in five days, covering a total of 120 miles.

Their route ends at St Melangell’s Church in Powys on May 29, with the final day starting in Welshpool and passing through Meifod, Llanfyllin, Penybontfawr, and Llangynog.

The Buckmans are running to raise funds for Project New Ngoma, a village school in Zambia’s Kafue National Park that educates the local community about conservation and human-wildlife coexistence.

The school serves 160 pupils aged five to 15 and currently only operates for half days due to a lack of on-site staff accommodation.

The couple’s fundraising goal is to help build three staff accommodation blocks, which would allow the school to offer full-day lessons.

The headteacher currently walks five miles each way to school every day, while the two other teachers are hosted by local families.

Mr and Mrs Buckman’s efforts are supported and supervised by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

Their run will conclude with a blessing at St Melangell’s Church, led by Reverend Christine Browne.

Supporters can follow their journey on Instagram via @buckmansbigrun.

A spokesman for Project New Ngoma said: "Every donation, large or small, helps build teacher housing, strengthen education, and protect wildlife in Zambia."

More information about the project can be found at www.projectnewngoma.org.

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