SINCE hearing the tragic story of a toddler who had each one of her fingers individually and purposely broken, Alison O’Hara has supported the
work of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. That was 10 years ago, and in the last decade the 33-year-old programme support officer has taken part in lots of fundraising events for the charity, which provides and funds ChildLine, the free telephone counselling service for children. Next month, she will be taking part in the NSPCC’s 25-mile challenge walk, the Hike Against Cruelty to Kids (HACK), in East Devon. All the money raised from the event on Sunday, September 27, will go to support one of the UK’s smallest ChildLine bases, in Exeter, to help expand the free helpline service. “The big hook for me was hearing the chief executive of the charity speaking at an event I was at and hearing the story about the toddler,” explained Alison, who moved from London to Simouth last year. “I’ve always remembered it and done what I can for the NSPCC since then. “I took part in something called Challenger, which was a group activity including running, cycling and canoeing, on Exmoor in 2003. “I’ve also taken part in a few dragon boat races on the River Thames, competing against other teams, to raise money for the charity.”
Although this is the first HACK to be held in Devon, Alison has taken part in one before.