Mabel is dawdling for darts ’26!

Mabel and her human, darts Project Manager Sophie, are taking on the dawdle for darts challenge. They hope to raise important funds while making the most of getting outdoors.

Hi Mabel and Sophie! Why did you decide to dawdle for darts?

I’ve worked for darts for over 10 years now, so I have seen all of the wonderful work that we do as a charity to support people of all ages and abilities. Although walking and jogging has always been allowed as part of the Doncaster 10K, I worried that I wouldn’t be able to complete the full 10k in one go – but this year, knowing that we could split it up into smaller chunks, I was really excited to give it a go! Mabel is nervous about walking in busy places (and is a bit of an escape artist), so bringing her along to enjoy lots of long, quiet walks in green spaces will do her a world of good, as well as giving me a walking buddy.

Why is fundraising for darts so important?

Although lots of people know darts from taking part in our projects, they may not know that we are also a charity. All of our programmes rely on funding, from grants, foundations and private donations. Every penny counts so that we can continue to provide high quality creative activities for Doncaster residents, at low or no cost to our participants, so everyone can access these opportunities.

How important do you think creative activities are to people’s health and wellbeing?

So important! I do lots of sewing, knitting and crafting to help me switch off and relax, and I know what a difference I feel after spending even just 15 minutes doing a gentle, creative activity. Visiting our sessions is one of my favourite parts of my job, and it is always incredibly special to see our participants having a great time and really benefitting from taking part. I work on our Creative Learning programmes for children and young people, so I’ve seen lots of sessions in schools where children are developing their emotional literacy, building their communication skills and having the space to shine. It’s so, so important for a happy, healthy life.

Mabel would like to add that she also enjoys creative activities – she loves to sing and she thinks she is a very talented visual artist, using the medium of shredded soft toys. Mabel is a very anxious rescue girl, so being in busy, noisy environments is very difficult for her, but she is excited to dawdle for darts and enjoy lots of lovely quiet walks. She is very much looking forward to exploring new places and stopping to sniff as much as possible.

If you would like to support Mabel and Sophie’s dawdle for darts, you can donate here.