71-Year-Old Earlsdon Resident Takes On The Wolf Run for ExtraCare

Barry Pountney, 71, who lives in Earlsdon Park Retirement Village, run by local charity The ExtraCare Charitable Trust, is taking part in the Wolf Run on 2nd June.

Barry, who has lived at Earlsdon Park since it opened in 2016, has previously fundraised for the charity by taking part in an abseil from the top of the 10 storey village. Now he is taking on the Wolf Run, a 10k race with numerous obstacles and mud pits to raise money for the charity’s award winning Well-being Service, and to celebrate its 30th anniversary this year.

Barry said “I am really looking forward to the Wolf Run and fundraising to support the services that ExtraCare delivers in Coventry. I am in my seventies and I want to promote the fact that age is no barrier to anything you want to do. I plan to carry on enjoying new experiences, new challenges and living my life to the full.”

The money raised will benefit residents of the charity’s locations in Coventry, including Earlsdon Park Village and Humber Court in Whitley. It will be used to fund Well-being Advisors who are registered nurses who offer residents well-being assessments, drop in sessions and information groups. A research project with Aston University found that ExtraCare residents experienced a significant reduction in the length of unplanned hospital stays and routine GP appointments fell by 46 per cent after a year.

Barry will be joined by 44 volunteers from ExtraCare’s head office, based in Binley, and the Coventry Building Society, who have been in partnership with the charity for over a year.

Mick Laverty, CEO of ExtraCare, who is also taking part, said “It is a privilege to be able to fundraise alongside Barry and our other volunteers for such an inspiring charity. ExtraCare’s Well-being Service provides vital support, helping residents maintain a healthy lifestyle. I want to thank all those who are supporting our Wolf Run fundraising activities which will help us provide better lives for older people in Coventry.”

Sponsor our runners

If you would like to sponsor those taking part in the Wolf Run please visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/ecct/wolfrun or contact Mandy Spraggett at mandy.spraggett@extracare.org.uk or 02476 506011

The ExtraCare Charitable Trust

The ExtraCare Charitable Trust is a registered charity based in Coventry since 1988. Our vision is better lives for older people and our mission is creating sustainable communities that provide homes older people want, lifestyles they can enjoy and care if it’s needed. To deliver our vision and mission we essentially do three things:

• We develop new villages
• We operate villages and schemes
• We support our villages, schemes and our ‘extra-care’ model through fundraising, advocacy and research

Each village or scheme has 5 to 18 social, health and leisure facilities that are accessible to our residents, volunteers and local people representing all age groups living in surrounding communities. Our Charity Shops help fund care and well-being services for older people living at our each of our locations.