Service development officer David Sharp and duty manager Shaun Anderson, along with a colleague, are taking time from their normal shift to drive runners and spectators taking part in the Children’s Cancer Run on Sunday 15 May.
Now in its 34th year, the Children’s Cancer Run is a 5-mile cross country family fun run in Newcastle set up to raise money for the North of England Children’s Cancer Research Fund (NECCR).The run offers 5 mile, 3 mile and ‘mini mile’ cross country tracks and is one of the largest single charity run events in Europe.
Every penny raised goes towards the work of the NECCR to improve the lives of children with cancer in the North of England. In 2015, the Children’s Cancer Run raised over £189,000 for the NECCR, adding to the £5 million which has already been raised by the event over the past three decades.
David and Shaun, who work at the head office in Sunderland and Slatyford bus depot in Newcastle respectively, will be operating the shuttle service with a third member of the team from the Walkergate depot. The service will run from the Four Lane Ends Metro and Regent Centre Metro to the Children’s Cancer Run at Newcastle Racecourse, starting at 8.45am and running every 30 minutes until 2.30pm.
39-year-old David from Westoe in South Shields was happy to be involved again, after offering his services along with his colleagues at last year’s event. He said: “We helped out at last year’s event and it was good fun, so when we were asked to participate again this year we didn’t think twice about saying yes.
“The Children’s Cancer Run is such a well loved and popular event and attracts runners and visitors from across the region, so we were delighted to take part for the second year and help runners and visitors get to race and back and ensure a smooth service for everyone.”
There will be a small charge of 50p per journey to cover fuel on the day; however the drivers have agreed to donate their time and operate the service for free.
The NECCR was formed in 1979 by a small group of parents whose lives had been changed by childhood cancer, and every penny raised goes towards improving the lives of children with cancer in the north east.
Three-year-old Dominic Halliwell from Low Fell in Gateshead was just 10 weeks old when his parents and doctors discovered he was poorly, and following a series of intensive tests and scans he was diagnosed with a rare type of tumour which affects only a small number of children worldwide.