NHS director goes the extra mile for charity.
Sarah Rushbrooke, Executive Director of Nursing, Therapies and Quality Assurance, at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) will be taking on the Great North Run for the 16th time this September.
She will be raising money for the SHINE fund, part of the Trust’s charity, which aims to improve the experience and wellbeing of patients receiving care in the Trust’s mental health, learning disability and neurological services.
The fund provides patients and carers with the extras that can make a big difference.
SHINE has funded hundreds of projects, supporting patients with everything from improved indoor and outdoor spaces, exercise equipment and pet therapy to yoga classes, gardening tools, festive events and much more.
Sarah is no stranger to fundraising. She first started running to raise money for her niece Ellie who has a rare, neurological condition called congenital myasthenia gravis which weakens the muscles.
“When Ellie was born, we weren’t aware she was unwell until she had a cardiac arrest. I had to resuscitate her when she was six months old,” Sarah explained.
“She spent a lot of her early life in intensive care at the Newcastle General trying to find out what was wrong. We didn’t think she would make it.”
Ellie is now 21 and works for CNTW’s subsidiary company, NTW Solutions.
Sarah will be running the race with her son Joe.
She’s getting married the week after and plans to do the race in a white dress and veil.
On fundraising for SHINE, Sarah said: “I’ve seen how much the charity has grown in recent years and what a difference it makes to patients and their families.
“It’s important for me to give something back. I love this organisation and want to be able to do something in return. It seemed fitting as me and Ellie both work in mental health and as a young man, Joe wanted to raise awareness of it.”
Sarah says she’s looking forward to the Great North Run, which is the world’s biggest half marathon.
“It’s very busy but you can’t beat the atmosphere of the Great North Run. I’ve been all over the world supporting my fiancé doing marathons but having it on your doorstep makes it really special.
“People think it’s easy but it’s a tough course. The people supporting along the route are wonderful and really keep you going.”
For Sarah, running is really important for her mental health.
She explained: “I lost my mum last year. She was very unwell and her end-of-life care was challenging. I cared for her a lot and found being able to go out for a run when she was ill really helped.
“When she died, running helped with my mental health. Running is great physically but mentally it’s even more important.”
The Great North Run takes place on 7th September 2025.
To sponsor Sarah and Joe and help raise money for SHINE, go to Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust: Joe & Sarah running for Shine