Above: Members of the Newcastle Hospitals Charity Team, Adam Bannister, Fudge the Giraffe and Logan Bannister mark the occasion outside the Great North Children’s Hospital
The Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation part of Newcastle Hospitals Charity, is the official charity partner of the 2023 Gateshead Half Marathon and 10K.
Fudge the Giraffe – official mascot for Newcastle’s Great North Children’s Hospital (GNCH) – a young patient, and staff from Newcastle Hospitals Charity came together today to mark the news that the Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation has been named as official charity partner for the 2023 Gateshead Half Marathon and 10K.
The Newcastle Hospitals Charity team and Fudge were joined outside of GNCH by Adam Bannister (7), who recently underwent treatment at the children’s hospital for a Wilms’ Tumour (a form of kidney cancer), and his younger brother Logan (5). Happily, Adam is now in remission.
Speaking about his son’s time at the Great North Children’s Hospital, Graham Bannister said:
“We were more than happy to come and celebrate with Fudge today. The care Adam has received at the Great North Children’s Hospital has been brilliant, and we’re proud to support the Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation.”
Emma McQuitty, Fundraising Coordinator at Newcastle Hospitals Charity said:
“We are delighted to be partnering with the Gateshead Half Marathon and 10K as their official charity partner. We know that we have a huge number of keen runners in the North East, so we hope that they will grab their trainers and help us to raise vital funds for the Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation to support patients like Adam and their families.”
One of the first people to sign up to the Gateshead Half Marathon was Dr. Mike McKean, a Consultant Paediatric Respiratory Physician at the Great North Children’s Hospital. He said:
“I am exceptionally proud to work at GNCH and as such have a first-hand view of the outstanding care that we deliver every day to young patients from across the North East, and often well beyond. I see the impact that charitable support from the Foundation has at the Children’s Hospital, and it was an easy decision to put my best foot forward and take on the Gateshead Half Marathon to support this excellent work.”
Recently, the Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation has supported a hardship fund for families with children in hospital, access to games, toys, and consoles to help brighten a hospital stay, and the funding of an educational burns prevention and first aid film.
Runners who choose to take part in the Gateshead Half Marathon or 10K aid of the Great North Children’s Hospital Foundation will benefit from a discounted entry fee of £20 and are asked to raise £150 in sponsorship. Anyone interested can sign up here.
