Michelle's running to keep club running...

MOSSLEY Running Club member Michelle Phillips sitting on the wall with husband Chris and other members of the club

A LOVING sister is gearing up to run the Mossley 10k in aid of a social club for disabled adults and their carers...despite a long history of hip problems.

Michelle Phillips (41) is taking part in Sunday's race to support her brother Hughie Darraugh (33) who has Down's Syndrome, severe hearing problems and poor speech.

Hughie has attended the social club, known as the Monday Club, at Mossley Football Club for nine years but the group have been struggling to find funds.

Michelle, who lives at The Laurels in Mossley, was born with congenital hip dislocation - a condition resulting in an unstable hip joint which meant she was unable to walk until she was four.

Mum-of-four Michelle said: "I have struggled with mobility ever since and have a permanent limp.

"The severity of the pain led to me having a total left hip replacement at Wrightington Hospital, Wigan, in 2008. The recovery was boring and slow and I was unable to work for 12 weeks."

In 2010, Michelle was offered a total hip replacement in her right hip but due to pregnancy this was delayed until January 2016.

The recovery process was better than the first time round and two months later she had returned to her job as teaching assistant at Milton St John's CE Primary School.

Michelle has gradually built up her strength by attending Mossley Running Club, where she became a member in May this year.

Now Michelle is on a mission to give her brother's club a financial boost to keep it up and running.

She said: "The Monday Club has been running for 16 years and was initially supported by Tameside Council until they withdrew the funding two years ago.

"Since then, volunteer organisers Noreen and Pete Green, Janet Larner, Michelle Freeman and Jonny Delaney have kept it going.

"Due to the lack of funding and how important and special it is for Hughie, I decided to run the Mossley 10k to support them."

To support Michelle's efforts visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/michelle-darraughphillips-1.

• Check out pictures of the Monday Club on our picture sales page.