Westgate Ark is a social enterprise based in the West End of Newcastle which takes in stray, unwanted and feral cats and kittens, and finds them the best homes possible. Their cat homing centre takes in rescued cats and cats whose owners have had to give them up They also run an Alley Cat Cafe which will soon hold rescue cats and kittens available for rehoming, as well as a support shop trying to raise funds for the cats and the running of the centre. They also have a strong social media presence, regularly updating followers with their work and helping to reunite lost cats and their owners.

I'm a regular visitor to their shop and cafe and the staff are so wonderful, kind and passionate about animals that I wanted to show support and run the Great North Run this year for them. The Great North Run raises so much money for the well known charities, but as pets can give so much comfort to people who are in ill health and suffering that I thought I'd run for one of the lesser known organizations. Please visit their website: www.westgateark.org.uk or their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/westgateark/ to see how committed they are.

And please, please, please think about sponsoring me to help me get to the finish line. I've had a knee injury this year and am nowhere near as fit as I was. But the thought of raising money for all those poor abandoned cats will keep me going!