Wokingham runners raised thousands at the Reading half-marathon, it's been announced.

Volunteers from the charity FirstDays have raised £4,500, which was more than double their original target. 

FirstDays is a charity committed to distributing old baby toys, equipment and furniture to those who need it in Wokingham, Sandhurst and more. 

The amount raised by the volunteers was enough to pay for 900 waterproof mattress covers, 150 newborn baby boxes with toiletries or 100 toddler car seats.

Annette Honeyball, Fundraising Events Manager at First Days, said: “Being part of the Reading Half Marathon was great for fundraising, but it was also an invaluable experience to us for many other reasons. 

"Having runners talking to friends and family about sponsorship spreads the word and raises our profile amongst a wider community. For example, one of our runners has an extensive business network and, through sharing details of her fundraising effort, the work of First Days and why it it’s so important, she was able to engage with people we’ve previously found unreachable, she was our top fundraiser for the event.

“The Reading Half Marathon was one of a few events we took part in this Spring and it helped create a massive buzz amongst our supporters and social media followers. 

"As a local charity supporting families across Reading, it was also fantastic for us to take part in such a popular, locally supported event. 

"Running in our First Days t-shirts, we were able to spread the word about the charity to all of the amazing spectators lining the streets of the route, as well as the runners as they went past our cheer station at the University.”