Last updated at 15:48, Wednesday, 06 March 2013

JESS BRYSON, 25, a teaching assistant at Ulverston Victoria High School, has entered three teams in this year’s Keswick to Barrow walk, in memory of her cousin Will Wilson, who died after contracting meningitis. The 34 walkers are to raise money for the Meningitis Research Foundation

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SUCH is the enduring popularity of the late Will Wilson, when his cousin Jess Bryson suggested walking the Keswick to Barrow in his memory she was inundated with pledges of support.

Within days Jess had three teams of 34 entered plus a support team, which bodes well for their chosen charity, Meningitis Research Foundation.

Will died suddenly in January 2006, aged 13, after contracting pneumococcal meningitis and since then his family has raised around £5,000 in his name.

Team co-ordinator Jess, 25, says: “I put it out on Facebook as an initial idea and got the most amazing response. Will had a lot of friends, and quite a lot taking part are his friends from school.”

Will’s older siblings, Kate, 24, and Tom, 22, from Next Ness, Ulverston, are also taking part, while his parents, David and Nicky, couldn’t be prouder of everyone’s efforts and will support them every step of the way.

Will was a bright, gregarious, intelligent teenager whose sparkle has never diminished in the years since his death. His passing has been acknowledged in many ways.

He was a Year Nine student at Ulverston Victoria High School when he died and his year group released balloons from the Hoad each year until leaving school.

The eponymous Will’s Yard at UVHS is furnished with tables bought with money donated at his funeral, which Nicky and Jess have the pleasure of seeing in use every working day.

As staff members at UVHS they know they can rely on their colleagues to support their fundraising efforts.

Tom completed the Leeds Half Marathon last year, raising £1,300 for Meningitis Research in the process.

When it comes to preparing for the challenge, Tom’s long-distance running will stand him in good stead, but the rest of the group have begun to make strides in their training.

“I’m doing quite a lot of running,” says Jess, of Ulverston, who is taking part in the K2B for the first time.

“I’m running between eight and 10 miles and I intend to build up my endurance.

“We’re going to start getting the bus up to Coniston and walking back and then build up to walking to Coniston and walking back and we’ll possibly do some of the route as well.

“There are friends joining us from Huddersfield and Leeds and I’m hoping people will do their own training. I keep putting tips on our Facebook group and posting a countdown on the group to remind people how long we’ve got.”

The walkers have pledged to raise at least £60 each and the collective amount will be donated to the Meningitis Research Foundation in Will’s name.

Chris Head, the chief executive of Meningitis Research Foundation, says: “We are extremely grateful to Jessica and her team for taking part in the Keswick to Barrow walk in May on our behalf. Meningitis and septicaemia are deadly diseases which can strike without warning, killing in hours as Jess and her family are sadly aware, following the loss of her cousin William to the disease seven years ago. We rely on voluntary donations to fund our vital work into the prevention, detection and treatment of the diseases and support those affected, so every penny raised through sponsorship doing this challenge will make a huge difference to the charity.”

Will’s dad, David, adds: “There will be hundreds of people each year who will not suffer because of research.”

To find out more about meningitis and septicaemia, or to sign up to an event close to you and support Meningitis Research Foundation visit www.meningitis.org.

To sponsor Jess, Kate, Tom and the team visit www.keswick2barrow.co.uk and pledge sponsorship under individuals’ names.

First published at 14:59, Wednesday, 06 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk