Amanda Criscuolo, from Ruislip ran her first ever half marathon earlier this month at Richmond RunFest in memory of her grandad, Michael Shewring, who passed away in 2013. She chose to run for The Poppy Factory in tribute to her grandad who dedicated much of his time researching his family’s history and WWI.
(Amanda with her dad Carlo Criscuolo and nan Gwen Shewring.)
“My grandad truly believed in the life-changing work of The Poppy Factory in supporting ex-Service members find careers. So I am raising some money in memory of my Grandad and family to support a cause close to his heart,” Amanda said.
Michael often visited the British War Graves in Etreaux and participated in the Photographic Project for The Commonwealth War Graves Commission by taking photos of the graves.
(Michael at Brandhoek New Military Commonwealth War Graves in Ypres, Belgium.)
Michael’s grandfather, Joseph Shewring, and his four brothers, Albert, Edward, William and Arthur, all fought in the WWI. Arthur was killed in action at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle in France aged 19 on 10th March 1915 and he is commemorated at Le Touret Memorial in France and at Winchester Cathedral.
Amanda ran the half marathon in an impressive 2 hours and 34 minutes and raised over £750. Thanks to donations like this, The Poppy Factory is able to support wounded, injured and sick veterans find meaningful employment with the Getting You Back to Work service.
A big thank you to Amanda!
More you might like
- Find out more about our Getting You Back to Work programme.
- Read some of the inspiring stories from veterans we’ve supported.
- Explore The Poppy Factory’s rich history.