Seven super-heroes came to the aid of animals in need last Sunday by raising an estimated £350 for their RSPCA animal shelter in Patcham.

Among the throng of Supermen, Buzz Lightyears and Wonder Women, seven fundraisers came dressed in fetching pink, to take part in the Heroes Run on Hove seafront.

They ran alongside hundreds of others, all racing for different charities.

A mixture of shelter staff and their family members, the group completed the 5k course twice, which began at King’s Esplanade, before looping around Hove Lagoon and back along Kingsway to the starting line.

Rachel Horton, a volunteer at the centre on Braypool Lane, said: “Basically, we’re running 10k in order to raise as much money as possible for our shelter.”

Among the crowd, Rachel’s dog Rosie had come to show her support by wearing a fetching pink feather boa. Rosie herself is a rescue dog from the Patcham-based shelter.

Pat Osbourn, another shelter volunteer, ran the Brighton Marathon on April 14th this year, raising an additional £350 for RSPCA Patcham.

He said: “We’ve raised about £750 from both races, which is really good.”

The shelter receives no funding from RSPCA headquarters, instead relying solely on fundraising and donations to stay afloat.

The centre requires over £400,000 a year to remain open, with their biggest expense being veterinary bills for the 3000+ animals they care for annually.

For those who want to show their support, there are two upcoming fundraising events this summer.

The first is a family fun day on Saturday 9th June from 11am to 3pm at The Level in Brighton, and the second is the shelter’s open day on Sunday 15th of July, starting at 10.30am on Braypool Sports Field.

For more information about these events or how to donate, call 01273 554218.

The Heroes Run is organised by Pass It On Africa, a Brighton-based charity who are dedicated to helping build schools and supporting education in some of the poorest parts of Africa.

By Rebecca Choules