On the 18th April 2026 my Dad suffered a cardiac arrest on the 4th tee at Dunstanburgh Castle Golf Club. If it wasn't for the lads in the Royal George Golf Society, the Great North Air Ambulance and the NHS staff who cared for him he wouldn't be here to tell the tale. My Mam, Chris and I will be eternally grateful to everyone who helped and saved Dad's life.

In light of this, we plan to complete a charity walk to raise as much money as possible for the Great North Air Ambulance Service. My Dad was worked on for 32 minutes; the plan is to do a 32 kilometre walk from the Royal George pub in Peterlee to Cherry Knowle Hospital, Ryhope and back, followed by plenty of beers.

The date we have chosen for this is Sunday 26th July but in the future we will be marking the anniversary of the event on the closest Sunday to the 18th April. It is open to everyone and the more the merrier. Whether people would like to complete the full walk or only part of it, this is completely fine, we will make the necessary arrangements.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) rescues hundreds of severely injured or ill patients every year throughout the North East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria. Their doctor-led critical care teams deliver life-saving treatments at the scene of the incident whether that is on a fell top, a roadside or in a city centre. The charity responded to 2,083 call outs in 2024 alone, via their helicopter and emergency response vehicles, where they performed treatments and procedures which can mean the difference between life or death.