Phil tackling Brighton Marathon to help cause dear to his heart

A father of two from Bishop’s Stortford is aiming to run the Brighton Marathon in less than 3hr 30min this Sunday to raise money and awareness for a little-known charity that gave his family crucial support in their hour of need.

Phil Middleton, 40, a former head boy at The Bishop’s Stortford High School, has already hit his £1,000 fundraising target for ADD-vance, a Hatfield-based charity that supports families with children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Phil’s children, Benjamin, seven, and Sophie, four, are pupils at Hillmead Primary School. His son was diagnosed with ADHD last year.

“My wife and I knew nothing about ADHD when Benjamin was flagged up as potentially being on the spectrum,” said Phil.

His wife Suzie found out about ADD-vance and, through the charity, she signed up to a six-week ADHD training course.

“It really opened her eyes and mine on how to help manage the condition,” said Phil.

“Attention deficit is, some experts assert, a misleading name. Attention deregulation might be a more accurate description since most people with ADHD have more than enough attention – they just can’t harness it in the right direction at the right time with any consistency.”

ADD-vance has given Phil and Suzie a wealth of hints and tips on how to help Benjamin when he is having trouble focusing.