A SPORTS centre worker is set to run 13 miles in Ghana’s blistering heat to raise cash for charity.

Vandi Rathbone, who works at Brightlingsea Sports Centre, is taking on the challenge to raise money to provide food and education for children in the west African country.

Mrs Rathbone, 54, only started running seriously earlier this year and will undertake the Ghana Half Marathon in Accra with 36-year-old Gregg Weaver, who is also from Brightlingsea.

The pair have pledged to raise £4,000 for Brightlingsea-based Porridge and Pens. The charity works with communities in the Ashanto region of Ghana and has built a school from scratch.

The Brightlingsea Free School currently provides places for 70 children and is expanding with an upper floor which will be opened while Mrs Rathbone is out there.

“Porridge and Pens is a relatively new venture,” she said.

“As well as the money, we want to raise its profile and make people aware of the fantastic work it does.

“People will be taking part in the Accra Half Marathon from all over the world and it will be an exciting event.

“Fortunately it starts at 5.30am to miss some of the worst of the heat.

“Gregg is faster than me but we are going to run together to make sure I get round the course and we raise the funds.”

Mrs Rathbone is a cover supervisor at the sports centre and has worked there for about two years.

“The Brightlingsea Free School is about four hours from the capital and while we are out there we intend to visit and do some volunteer work,” she added.

“Hopefully a new top half of the school is going to be officially opened while we are there and it will give even more children a good start in life.

“There is also going to be a delivery of musical instruments from the charity and we will also help to give them out.”

The half marathon takes place on October 29.

Porridge and Pens was set up in 2015 by three sisters from Brightlingsea and its founder is Jemma Collins.

To contribute visit justgiving.com/vandi-emma.