A brother and sister who are both CEOs of separate charities in Surrey and Hampshire are taking on an ultra marathon.

Cherisse Dealtry and Sheldon McMullan are going to run 100 miles in 24 hours from June 7 to June 8, to raise vital funds for the organisations they lead.

Endure24 is the UK’s biggest 24-hour trail race. As two members of a team of four, Cherisse and Sheldon will be in a continuous relay, with one team member on the track at all times, racking up five laps each of the 8km varied-terrain loop.

“We’ve always been supportive of each other,” said Sheldon. “In fact, Cherisse is the person who helped me get into running back in 2017, when she took me for a 5k run and just didn’t stop.”

Sheldon leads Yateley Industries, which is dedicated to empowering adults with disabilities through meaningful employment, training, and supported living. He is aiming to raise £1,000.

In Woking, Cherisse is CEO of York Road Project, a charity that provides vital support and accommodation to people experiencing homelessness. She is hoping to raise £200.

Sheldon added: “Now I love to challenge myself and run long distances. Occasionally I will enter an official Ultra, but sometimes I’ll run a marathon before work.”

Cherisse on the other hand, is taking on this extreme distance for the first time.

She said: “I have run in a few half marathons and 10k events, but nothing to what I am taking on in June.”

It’s because they are seeing their organisations’ usual funding sources reduce or vanish that the siblings have reached for their running shoes.

Sheldon explained: “The funding landscape is so tough and highly competitive, with funders closing their doors and AI written applications flooding their inboxes, slowing down the decision making process.

“We’re proud to lead these organisations, and now we’re proud to run for them. Every donation helps our charities do what they do best: changing lives.”

Cherisse added: “Last year we supported, on average, three new clients every week. That’s a huge number of people facing homelessness just in our area. Without York Road Project, many of these people would have had nowhere to turn.

“People have an image of CEOs sitting behind a desk, and that couldn’t be further from the truth in our sector. Our job involves everything from doing outreach and engaging new clients on the streets, to chasing landlords so leaky roofs get fixed, to descaling the kettle in our shelter.

“Oh, and now also running 100 miles in 24 hours!”

In addition, York Road Project is looking for more Woking residents to run or cycle in challenge events to raise money for the charity. Go to www.yorkroadproject.org.uk/support-us to see if this could be the year you smash a personal goal - and help defeat homelessness in the process.