Edinburgh church will welcome runners raising money for charity founded by one of its members over 100 years ago

A group of runners will arrive at an Edinburgh church ahead of the Sunday morning service as they complete a sponsored run in aid of a charity founded more than 100 years ago by a member of the church.

The 30-strong running team are making the journey from the west of Scotland to Stockbridge Parish Church to raise funds for Dr Graham’s Homes, established in 1900 by Dr John Anderson Graham, a missionary who was a member at Stockbridge.

Stockbridge Parish Church in Saxe-Coburg Street will welcome 30 runners raising money for Dr Graham’s Homes, a charity working with needy children in India, founded in 1900 by a member of the church.

He went to India in 1889 and settled in the town of Kalimpong in what is now West Bengal, where he helped farmers improve faming methods and set up a co-operative credit society to combat exploitation by moneylenders; his wife Katherine established a school to educate girls; and he later founded his home for orphaned and needy children, particularly youngsters who were rejected because they were born out of illicit British-Indian relationships.

The charity still operates today, providing education and care for children in need. The Rev John Munro, locum minister at Stockbridge, said: “It was while he was a member at Stockbridge that Dr Graham decided on his big venture to go to India, where he did so much for disadvantaged children.

“The runners will be arriving sometime around 10am and we’ll be ready to greet them and give them a hot breakfast. Then some of them will take part in the 11am service and tell us something about their experiences.”