Paralympian inspires guests as charity marks 10th anniversary with fundraising lunch
A PARALYMPIAN was guest of honour at an event to mark the 10th anniversary of a charity which has raised £500,000 in memory of a young woman who died from meningitis.
The 10th anniversary of the Jessica Bethell Charitable Foundation was celebrated with a lunch at the Bell Barn, at Leyburn, North Yorkshire, and raised more than £20,000 to add to the fundraising total.
The event was organised by James Bethell, his wife Sally and their son, Edward, who has succeeded his father as a successful racehorse trainer.
Special guests at the lunch included Lyndon Longhorne, who contracted meningitis as a baby but overcame multiple amputations to swim for Team GB at the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021.
Lyndon, who comes from Crook, County Durham, is now aiming to set a new world record by becoming the first quadruple amputee to complete an Ironman Triathlon in under 24 hours later this year.
The Ironman Triathlon comprises a 2.4 mile swim in open water, a 112-mile bike ride, and a marathon over 26.2 miles. A £10,000 donation from the foundation has been used to buy a special racing wheelchair for the marathon.
Lyndon was among the speakers at the lunch, telling guests about his epic journey and thanking the foundation for its generosity.
He said: “I can’t thank the Jessica Bethell Charitable Foundation enough. The generosity of the Bethell family, in Jessica’s memory, has made my world record attempt a reality.
“They have used the personal experience of losing their daughter to do something incredibly positive, not only raising a lot of money but – even more importantly – raising awareness about meningitis and how devastating it can be.”
TV personality Carol Vorderman, a friend of the Bethell family, was among the guests and she described Lyndon as “incredibly inspirational”. The lunch was also attended by figures from the racing fraternity, and some of Jessica’s former school friends.
Jessica died suddenly of meningitis when she was just 24 and the foundation’s trustees, Charlotte Peel and Jo Lambert, gave guests an update on how the charity has supported meningitis research and a range of other good causes in her memory.
Jo said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to support James, Sally and Edward as a lasting tribute to their beloved daughter and sister. We truly admire their spirit, strength and determination.
“We know how proud Jessica would have been of her family for fighting this devastating disease.”
James added: “We have been shown such enormous generosity and kindness by so many people, and it means so much to us. Having Lyndon here, as an example of how the foundation is being used, has been an inspiration.”
