600 runners take part in AJ Bell Great North Run to raise funds for NHS charities

On 6th September 2024

Categories: 2024

This year, on 8 September, almost 600 AJ Bell Great North Run participants are raising money for NHS Charities Together or a local NHS charity. 117 NHS Charities Together fundraisers will be joining a total of 60,000 participants running 13.1 miles across the scenic North East of England, starting in Newcastle and finishing on the beautiful South Shields coast.

We have been involved in the AJ Bell Great North Run for the past three years, having raised £30,000 to date. With a much bigger presence at the event this year, we are hoping to raise an additional £30,000 in one year, trebling the average amount raised in previous years. Read on to hear from some of our inspiring fundraisers.

Rosie is 30 and lives in Hartlepool. She says:

“I’m running for NHS Charities Together to thank our wonderful NHS staff for everything they do. In 2012 they looked after my nanna when she was in hospital with cancer. Unfortunately we lost her and she was only in her seventies. Ten years later my Mum was in hospital with breast cancer and went into anaphylactic shock – the staff were amazing and saved her life. She’s doing well now.

“I have also received support and treatment from the NHS for my own mental health and I’m finding training for the AJ Bell Great North Run really helps my wellbeing. I get up at 4.30AM every day to run 13.1 miles. This is the third year I’ve run the AJ Bell Great North Run, and I’m hoping to do the London marathon next year.”

Emily, 26 from Newcastle, said:

“I’m delighted to be running the AJ Bell Great North Run for NHS Charities Together. As a Trainee Nursing Associate and a carer to my two younger brothers who have a rare genetic disorder, I know just how needed our NHS is. I wanted to give something back and express my appreciation to all the hard-working NHS staff. My Mum works in A&E and I was inspired by her and wanted to follow in her footsteps.

“During the pandemic, I was working on a temporary COVID-19 Intensive Care Ward. I had to stay in a hotel to protect my brothers and was separated from my family for 10 weeks. It was one of the hardest things I have ever to done, but they sent regular cards to cheer me up, and I was motivated to keep going by my need to care for sick patients, the support of my family and that of the public. My brothers have spent a lot of time in hospital and I want to raise as much as possible for the NHS as I know how much of a difference donations can make.”

Antony Tiernan is 51 and lives in Surrey. He has worked in the NHS for over 20 years and is a Trustee of NHS Charities Together. He said:

“My brother, Mark, had cancer as a child and received amazing care from the NHS. He is now in his 50s with two children.

“For two decades I’ve worked alongside thousands of NHS staff and volunteers who work tirelessly to do their best for patients and their families – from the midwives who help bring us into the world, paramedics who run towards danger and porters who keep our hospitals moving.

“On Sunday 8th, I’ll be running the AJ Bell Great North Run to say thanks to them all and to raise funds to support the amazing work of NHS Charities Together.”

Kate Ludlam is 44 and lives in Newark, Nottinghamshire. She said:

“I am so excited to be running the A J Bell Great North Run to raise money for NHS Charities Together. I have worked for the NHS for over 20 years, starting out as an auxiliary nurse before going on to train and qualify as a registered nurse.

“Last year, I relied heavily on our NHS after falling and badly breaking my elbow. I needed surgery and months of intensive rehab before I was able to return to my full nursing duties. The treatment I received from the NHS was simply amazing and I am so grateful to everyone who was involved in my care. Running this half marathon for NHS Charities Together is my way of saying thank you and giving a little extra something back.’’

Louise McCathie, Director of Fundraising at NHS Charities Together, the national charity caring for the NHS, said:

“We are so thankful to Rosie, Emily, Antony, Kate and all our amazing participants running the AJ Bell Great North Run for us or their chosen NHS charity this year. The moving stories behind their charity choice will have been a powerful motivation in their training. Their fundraising is a fantastic way to thank the NHS for the care they or a loved one received. Right now, there is an unprecedented level of pressure on our NHS and its hard-working staff and we know that every penny raised will get to where it’s needed.”

For the first time this year, we have also formed a collective with 18 NHS charities based across the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the West Midlands, they are:

North East

Bright Northumbria Charity
County Durham & Darlington Foundation Trust Charity
Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust
North Tees & Hartlepool Together
James Cook, Friarage & Community Hospitals (South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)
South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust

Yorkshire