Ready, steady and good to go!

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Last year’s Junior and Mini Great North Run

HI Sunshine News Readers,

WE have some fantastic news to share this week as we have already sold out of our Great North Run charity spaces! It’s a joy to be able to confirm our full Team Sunshine so soon after the general ballot closed only this week.

Not only do we have a full team who have taken our limited guaranteed charity spots, but we also have a list of participants who were successful in the ballot and will be running for Team Sunshine in their own places!

We can’t wait to see our runners in their yellow Team Sunshine T-shirts on Sunday, September 8. Our runners are set individual fundraising targets of at least £300 each, and all money raised will support local children living with disabilities, additional needs and terminal illness. Donations will be crucial in helping us fund the life-changing equipment that babies, children and young adults in our region are waiting patiently for but desperately for.

For the sixth year running, our GNR campaign will be sponsored by our friends at True Potential, who make up a strong percentage of this year’s team.

If you missed out on a Great North Run space, register your interest and we would be more than happy to add you to our reserve list.

If you have little ones who’d like to be part of the Great North Run weekend, sign them up to the Junior & Mini event and let us know they’re racing for us!

All members of Team Mini Sunshine will receive their own yellow T-shirt, a certificate recognising their achievements, plus they’ll have access to our exclusive VIP Sunshine Zone on the Quayside! Help us spread some sunshine on Saturday, September 7; find out more at www.thesunshinefund.org/ mini-junior-gnr and register your place at www.greatrun.org/events/junior-minigreat-north-run/.

For all things GNR, or if you’d like to be added to our reserve list, please contact Amanda.keddie@thesunshinefund.org.

If the GNR doesn’t appeal to you but you’d like to take on a challenge, we have so many other opportunities On Friday, May 24, we’ll be taking a team of

Sunshine Trekkers on a 13-mile trek along Hadrian’s Wall. Trekkers must raise at least £250 each to support local kids with complex needs, whilst completing the challenge in just eight hours. It will be led by the experts at Challenge Northumberland, who will guide the team as we explore sights such as Thirlwell Castle, the Housesteads Roman fort, Steel Rigg, Walltown Crags, Crag Lough and, of course, the recently felled Sycamore Gap.

Two of this year’s Sunshine Trekkers have taken part in previous treks for the charity, returning for another challenge.

One is Shauna Jones, who says: “I’m taking part this year as I’ve found a love for hiking, going on long treks and recently joined a fitness programme ‘Team RH’ where I have been able to lose over a stone in six months.”

The other is Laura Thomson, who is on our board of trustees. She said: “Completing The Lakes 3000 Trek was the most difficult, yet the most rewarding, activity that I have ever experienced. It was physically and mentally challenging but knowing that so many people had sponsored me for such a worthwhile cause spurred me on.

“I got to meet so many lovely supporters of the charity and collectively we raised over £9,000 for The Chronicle Sunshine Fund.”

For more information visit www. thesunshinefund.org/trek2024. If you’d like to join the team, please contact Amanda.keddie@thesunshinefund.org.

There are plenty of national mass participation events that supporters can get involved in whilst representing the charity. We have included some local events on our website for inspiration.

Let us know if we’ve missed any off, and if you are taking part in any external challenges on our behalf, please do tell us! To say thank you we will give you a shout-out on social media and will dedicate a segment in our weekly Sunshine column.

Simply email the details to Sophie.revell@thesunshine fund.org or drop us a DM on any of our socials!