Mother runs 5km every day for a month during lockdown raising thousands for rare condition

Video report by ITV News Meridian's Charlotte Briere-Edney

Three months ago, we began our search for the ITV Meridian Fundraiser of the Year, as part of the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards.

Hundreds of you nominated wonderful fundraisers from your communities. All this week, we will tell you about our region's finalists and on Friday (October 1), we'll be crowning one of them as the Meridian winner.

A woman from Oxfordshire has raised almost £40,000 for charity by running five kilometres every day for a month during lockdown.

Tamara Ward, also known as Tats, took on the challenge to raise awareness of Dravet syndrome.

It is a rare neurological condition that causes prolonged seizures that don't respond well to medication, as well as developmental disabilities.

Tamara's nephew Dom was diagnosed with the illness as a baby, and suffers regular seizures. Back in April, Dom had one of his worst ever fits.

Through her passion and charisma, the mother-of-three persuaded 40 other people to join her by running five kilometres every day for a month.

Tamara said: "I just thought, what can I do, what can I possibly do? A to help my sister, but B to make people more aware. Because noone has heard of Dravet. It's just not a thing people talk about. So I just wanted to do something for Dom."

One of those running the 155 kilometres, was husband Mike, who says the team spirit got him through increasingly tough runs.

Mike Ward said: "Everything hurt. Literally from day two or three the calves at the back of the legs really started to seize and by day four they felt like cement.

"I'm her husband and I'm super super proud of everything she's done, she's accomplished, her idea."

But Tats is not one to rest on her laurels, or indeed rest at all, and is already planning her next fundraising scheme.