Helen trebles fundraising target
23 April 2026
Helen during the Manchester Marathon run.
West Midlands Police Inspector Helen Jackson completed Sunday’s Manchester Marathon and, in doing, so trebled her initial fundraising target of £500.
She finished the race in just under six hours and will be handing over at least £1,500, boosted by a further £300 in Gift Aid, to Cancer Research, in memory of her Dad, a former West Midlands Police officer who died 10 years ago,
Helen said: “I loved every minute of it, finished slightly slower than I had hoped for after starting out strong, but just remembering what I was doing it for kept me going.
“Until about halfway, my prediction on the tracker was to finish in 4 hours 30 minutes, but at about mile 20, an old injury started to hurt and I had to slow right down, finishing in 5 hrs 53. That was a bit disappointing, but I did it.
Overwhelmed
“It was one of the best experiences ever, the crowds, the support, the live music... but probably one I won’t repeat.
“I’m overwhelmed by the response and the support - after aiming to raise £500.”
Helen, the partnerships inspector at Wolverhampton, decided to attempt her first marathon to mark a year of full of significant dates including her retirement in August and her 50th birthday in December.
“Dad was born in Manchester in April, so it all seemed to be perfect timing,” she said.
Her Dad, Peter Jackson, was in the Royal Navy and joined the Force in 1986 when he was 39 and was based at Birmingham Road, Wolverhampton.
Beat officer
He then transferred to West Mercia, working as a beat officer in Bridgnorth, and then at the ID suite at Malinsgate, Telford.
He retired and returned to West Midlands Police as a member of police staff, working as a witness care officer at the Glidewell Unit in Wolverhampton up until his retirement in 2011.
He died in 2016 just a month after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.
Helen started running when her children were young, just to feel more fit and healthy. Before deciding to tackle the marathon, she had stopped at a distance of 10k.
Having started her policing career in Wolverhampton in 1996, Helen was promoted to sergeant at Walsall in 2007. She went onto child protection in 2009 and became an inspector at Wolverhampton in 2018.
