Charities win as fundraisers walk the walk

Jun 30 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

THOUSANDS of fundraisers strolled around the countryside on the edge of Sunderland yesterday in the Diabetes UK Great North Walk.

More than 3,000 people flocked to take part in the leisurely 10-mile charity walk that aims to raise cash for a number of good causes across the North East.

Dark clouds hung over the event at Herrington Country Park, Herrington, Sunderland, when it kicked-off at 10.30am.

But spirits could not be dampened as fundraisers danced from the start-line to the sounds of the North Tyneside Steel Band and all-women Tyneside drumming band, The Bangshees.

Walkers strolled along the banks of the River Wear, passing the southern fringes of Washington’s Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust before filing past Penshaw Monument.

Event organiser Jenny Griggs said: “This is basically about getting people in and getting them active. There’s a wheelchair section and a children’s section that are three miles long so everyone can take part.

“It’s a great day out for everyone, and everyone seems as though they have had an amazing time.”

The deputy mayor of Sunderland, Coun Dennis Richards, sounded the horn for each wave of walkers to leave the start-line.

Coun Richards, who was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago and has twice before taken part in the Great North Walk, said: “It’s a fantastic event.

“The organisers said they were lucky that the city council would let them bring the walk here, but it’s actually Sunderland that is lucky to have the event.”

Wheelchair-user Dan Heslop, a pupil at Rosa Street Primary School, in Spennymoor, County Durham, was one of those taking part in the mass walk.

The nine-year-old, from Primrose Close, Spennymoor, County Durham, underwent a heart bypass soon after he was born with a genetic condition.

Since then he has experienced respiratory problems and is confined to a wheelchair but yesterday, pushed by his 44-year-old mother Gillian, he completed the route in aid of the North East Ambulance Service.

Gillian said: “Dan has been in and out of hospital since he was born, and the doctors have done a fantastic job looking out for him.

“But it’s his first time at an event like the Great North Walk.

“I’m pushing him around and we’re having a great day.

“I love doing it every year and we just have a fantastic time.”

Deano Franciosy, 39, from Concord, Washington, Tyne and Wear, hauled a one-and-a-half stone rucksack around the track in memory of his mother Edna, who died when she was 61 after being diagnosed with diabetes.

Since her death in 2001, Mr Franciosy has raised more than £10,000 for various cancer and diabetes charities.

He said: “It’s still difficult now talking about my mam, but I do these races in memory of her.

“I miss her every day, I was really close to her, but these events are a good laugh and we have a bit of fun.”

Green day a festive success

BEING green was the theme of a one-day festival held at Berwick yesterday.

The aim of the Borders Green Festival, in its fourth year, was to educate people on the environment around them.

Around 1,900 people braved changeable weather to make their way to the Five Arches Playing fields in Tweedmouth for the event which involved local schools and businesses.

Live music was performed on two stages – the smaller of which was powered by a battery charged by a bicycle.

A mobile cinema operated by a solar panel showed a film featuring Al Gore on the idea of towns becoming plastic bag free – an initiative Berwick is planning to copy.

More than forty exhibitors at the event included councils promoting recycling and composting, schools which have grown their own vegetables, a community renewable energy company, Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

Julien Lake, of event organiser Berwick Community Development Trust, said: "We are really pleased with it. There has a been a couple of times the floodgates have opened, with better weather we could have done more.

"It is the first time we have used the site, on this basis we will absolutely be using it again."

Marathon goes global

FORMER Newcastle United star John Beresford and Newcastle Eagles basketball player-coach Fabulous Flournoy joined forces to lead walkers around the Quayside for charity.

The sporting stars were on hand to help willing participants walk or run their part of 24,901.55 miles – or the exact circumference of the earth.

Organised by the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel, the event was designed to raise funds for the hotel’s charity fund and children’s charity Percy Hedley Foundation.

More than 710 miles were covered during the day in total, with the rest of the distance being covered by other Hilton hotels across the country.

A total of 80 people turned up to go "round the world", with families enjoying the one-mile route around the Quayside and fitness fanatics taking part in the Team Challenge where they attempted to complete as many miles as possible in a seven-hour period. Former Newcastle United player Rob Lee and Newcastle Eagles captain Andrew Bridge were also involved.

Hilton in the Community Foundation representative Lindsey Rivington said: "It went really, really well. Rob Lee was here in the morning and he got the Team Challenge event under way with John Beresford.

"Andrew Bridge has also been here and it’s been a great day and everyone has really enjoyed it. Everyone is a little tired but they’ve all had fun."

Meanwhile athletes in County Durham were pitted against machines in the Beamish Tram Challenge, as they tried to beat the Beamish Museum’s historic trams around the track.

The multi-terrain 10km hike and the 2.5km Fun Run were kicked-off by children’s author Terry Deary. Proceeds will go towards access and education projects at the museum.