Bill Brown (above), a keen runner and member of the Heaton Harriers running group, will be taking on the iconic Great North Run this year in order to raise funds for Newcastle Hospitals Charity.
No stranger to a challenge, Bill even completed a half-marathon to celebrate his 80th birthday. He was also the first-placed runner aged 80+ in the recent 14-mile Northumberland Coastal Run (Sunday 24th July) completing the distance in just over 3 hours.
Bill was inspired to complete the 13.1 miles and fundraise by his daughter Carolyn Cunningham, who currently works as a Children’s Spinal Nurse Specialist at the Great North Children’s Hospital, which is based at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary.
After seeing the work Carolyn does helping children with the spinal disorder scoliosis, Bill decided to run to support the Newcastle Scoliosis Fund, which supports children and families living with this condition. By supporting the Newcastle Scoliosis Fund – which is part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity – Bill is hoping to raise both funds and awareness of the impact of scoliosis on young lives.
Above: Bill and daughter Carolyn outside of the Great North Children’s Hospital, Newcastle.
Bill said: “As I still enjoy running with Harriers although I’m now 80, I thought it would be a good idea to combine my enjoyment by running for a good cause. Children are our future and they deserve every opportunity to enjoy a happy, healthy & fulfilling life.”
Carolyn said: “I’m so proud of my dad, he really is an inspiration to us all!”
Newcastle Hospitals Charity is the official charity for Newcastle Hospitals. Our mission is to help our hospitals to go further by providing support for compassionate and innovative healthcare, education, and research.
You can support Bill by donating to his fundraising page here: https://greatnorthrun.enthuse.com/pf/bill-brown
