Leamington secondary school teacher is running the London Marathon for the second time to support people with mental health and well-being issues

Campion School's assistant headteacher Jonathan Blower (centre) and fellow school staff promote the Missing People charity.

A Leamington secondary school teacher is taking on the London Marathon for the second time and is aiming to raise money for a good cause while doing so.

Jonathan Blower, the assistant headteacher at Campion School, is running the race on Sunday, October 3, for Missing People mental health and well-being.

He is aiming to raise £5,000 for the cause and to cross the finish line in a time of between three hours and 40 minutes and 4 hours and 20 minutes.

Jonathan said: "Missing People is a charity in England, Wales and Scotland which aims to raise money for adults and children who go missing from home because of mental health and well-being issues.

"Currently, every 20 minutes somebody goes missing because of mental health, illness or depression.

"I have had the privilege of working with young people for many, many years.

"I would now like to support not only those who I work closely with on a day to day basis at Campion School, but also on a national level by fundraising in order to help and support others with issues in life that they may be facing.

"I believe that it is important to support this charity at this particularly challenging time, this is for both adults and children.

"My focus is particularly thinking of children and young people from a pastoral care perspective in order to show them that, no matter how serious or difficult specific issues in life may be, there is always help and support on offer in order to help everybody feel safe, happy, confident and successful.

"This will be the second time he has taken part in the race after he ran the 26-mile course at the event in 2004.

The last time Jonathan ran the London Marathon in 2004 he was raising funds for The MS Society as his father had multiple sclerosis and he eventually passed away from the condition in 2018.

That time, Jonathan raised £3,500 for the cause.

He said: "I am forever grateful for the support that he received via the MS society, paramedics and the health service throughout this period, enabling him to still enjoy a quality of life."

Campion's headteacher Jassa Panesar and other colleagues have helped Jonathan to raise more than £1,000 so far.

To make a donation to the cause visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jonathan-blower