Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

My manager, Michele, and I decided to run the Bupa Great North Run at the last minute this year and were lucky enough to get our hands on a couple of numbers that were no longer needed. We've worked on the event in previous years and always commented on how great it would be to take part. So this year when the opportunity of the numbers presented itself we took them.  While both of us are relatively fit, neither of us are runners and because of the short notice our training period is extremely short. For this reason we are not expecting to complete the run in a record breaking time but finishing it at all will be a huge acheivement for both of us.

We quickly decided that it would spur us on even more if we could raise some money for two great charities that have affected us personally at the same time. I am running for the Tiny Lives Charity, which is the special baby care unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. I chose this charity as Michele's niece was born very prematurley and pulled through because of the excellent care she received from Tiny Lives.  Michele is running for the Stroke Assosiation  for many reasons. Her Father-in-Law suffered from a stroke, as did the mother of a friend of ours. Very recently a friend of both of ours has also received a lot of care from the Stroke Assosiation after developing complications after the birth of her son.

We have not set a target sponsorship for the run because we are doing it at such short notice. However every penny really does help and would be gratefully received for both of these excellent charities. By donating on this page you are helping to save the lives of many babies born prematurely in the North East. And by donating on Michele's page (www.justgiving.com/michele-mccallion) you are helping the rehabilition of many people who suffer from the debilatating effects of strokes.

Thank you very much for your support.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.