SSAFA Scotland volunteer takes on London Marathon for Armed Forces support

24 April 2026

She has been helping the Forces family for more than a decade as a SSAFA volunteer – and now Morag MacLeod is stepping up her support by running the London Marathon.

Morag, 51, has been an active volunteer with SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity for 11 years and currently serves as Vice-Chair of SSAFA’s Perth and Kinross Branch – a role she performs alongside full-time employment with the Ministry of Defence.

Having never committed to running before, Morag, who lives in Kinross, applied for a London Marathon ballot place last year in a bid to get fit – and was astounded when she was successful.

The mum-of-two and former Army spouse said having first-hand knowledge of SSAFA’s impact has driven her to make the most of her marathon opportunity.

“It feels really personal because I have that insight,” Morag said. “SSAFA is an amazing charity and we support so many people in the community who would not otherwise be in such a positive position. It is wonderful to be able to contribute to that support, and to raise awareness of the fact we’re here and can help. I’ve seen it make such a difference to people, having someone to make sure they’re looked after and don’t feel alone.”

Morag said the support she has received from SSAFA colleagues has been outstanding – with everything from registration and logistical support to coordinating a social community.

She said: “The SSAFA Perth and Kinross Branch are over the moon I’m running and have been an amazing support, and I have even found someone to run with through the SSAFA marathon Facebook group. It has been such a great experience for a fantastic cause, and I would encourage anyone to run for SSAFA in the future.”