A Garstang lawyer with a passion for helping others has raised £770 for Age UK Lancashire. Lisa Lodge, head of Vincents Solicitors’ Garstang office, completed the recent Great North Run on behalf of the charity.

Sponsorship from family, friends and colleagues helped Lisa to break her fundraising target of £500 for Age UK Lancashire, which supports older people right across the county. The money will go towards providing the free-of-charge information and advice service, ensuring people can get the right benefits, housing support, health and social care, and access other help they may need.

Lisa, who as a specialist in Wills and Lasting Power of Attorney works primarily with older people, said: “This charity is one very close to my heart and I was honoured to be selected for one of its Great North Run fundraising places. The important work it does for people in our local communities can be genuinely life changing.

“All too often I see people who have become isolated and lonely in their old age, for a variety of reasons, and don’t know where to turn when problems arise. At Vincents we do home visits and befriend our older clients, helping out where we can with little things like sending cards and buying gifts or sorting out their bills.

“We try to help them to access the services they need, and encourage them to get out and about, and it is Age UK Lancashire which provides the lions’ share of that support. The charity is really making a difference in people’s lives by providing the information, activities and support that they need.”

Lisa completed the 13-mile run in 2 hours 42 minutes making her way from the start in Newcastle to the finish line in South Shields, alongside more than 57,000 other athletes, fundraisers and fun runners. She added “This was an amazing opportunity given to me by Age UK Lancashire. It was my first half marathon and, while I do quite a lot of fundraising fun runs, this was the toughest yet.

“It was absolutely amazing and there was such a great atmosphere. I must thank everyone who came out in support and those who sponsored me, their good will definitely helped to spur me through to the finish line. Newcastle was amazing and the support the city showed was awesome. It was one of the most amazing experiences and I enjoyed every minute  ”

David Ward from Age UK Lancashire said: “We’re over the moon with Lisa’s fundraising total, she really is fantastic and has done something truly amazing for the older people of Lancashire. The Great North Run is known as one of the hardest half-marathons on the calendar and she did it in style, smashing her fundraising target in the process.

“The money she has raised will go towards providing a vital service which is totally unfunded. Without people like Lisa we simply wouldn’t be able to provide the help and support that we currently do. Huge thanks to Lisa and all of her sponsors.”