Sale community rallies behind local women running to Paris for charity
Two Sale business owners are lacing up their trainers for an ambitious fundraising challenge – and the whole of M33 is getting behind them.
The ‘These Women Do Paris'' team
Alison McManus, owner of Diddibox Flowers on Ashfield Road and Rebecca Broadbent, who runs fitness community These Women Do, are taking part in Run to Paris, an organised relay-style running event that takes teams on a four-day journey on foot from Wimbledon all the way to the Eiffel Tower.
The pair, along with their teammates, will be running half a marathon every single day from 30 April to 03 May 2026, covering the full distance from London to Paris. Together, they are raising money for two charities: Parkinson's UK, which funds vital research and support for those living with Parkinson's disease and Regain Sports Charity, which helps British sports tetraplegics live independent and fulfilling lives.
The team has already made impressive strides; a family fun run and cake sale raised over £700, a brilliant start to what they hope will be a much larger total. Now they're gearing up for their second fundraiser: an online raffle backed by 31 local independent businesses.
"We've already done a family fun run and cake sale which brought in over £700, which is incredible," said Alison. "This is now our second fundraiser and we're hoping to raise much more – but equally, we really want to shine a spotlight on 31 incredible M33 independent businesses that we're lucky enough to have in our town."
The raffle opens on Sunday 01 March and runs throughout the month, with tickets available via a crowdfunding page. The prize list is impressive, with local businesses stepping up generously across the board. Lucky winners could walk away with a year's supply of flowers from Diddibox Flowers (worth £480), a family photography mini shoot with Kate McCarthy Photography (worth £200) or a £150 Stanley Square voucher. There are also treats from Stefan’s Jewellers (a men's watch worth £150), a private Pilates session for up to 12 people from LH Pilates, a hydrafacial at The Beauty Corner and a Sunday dinner with wine for two at The Bubble Room, among others.
Other businesses throwing their support behind the raffle include Bibble Bakes, Florence and Vera, Minikin, Amphora, Green and Grounded, Bean and Brush, Pray Tell Bar, Joe & Co, B&V Trading, The Sculpts, Lanigan and Hulme, Willow Goat Crafts, Ebb & Flo, Plan A, Northern Lights Cinema, The Beauty Garden, Flock, Tinys Barbers, Time for Bed/Sofa Land, Love to Craft, Kampasi Restaurant and Wood Fire Smoke Restaurant.
The overall fundraising goal is £4,000 and with momentum already building – the team has raised over £2,500 in direct sponsorship at the time of writing – reaching that target looks very much within reach.
The raffle crowdfunding page goes live this Sunday, 01 March. Keep an eye out for the link!
