On 7 September, runners will be taking on the world’s biggest half marathon, the Great North Run, to raise money for the SHINE Fund.
Part of Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust’s (CNTW) charity, SHINE aims to improve the experience and wellbeing of patients receiving care in the Trust’s mental health, learning disability and neurological care services.
Money from the SHINE Fund is used to provide the extras that make a big difference to patient recovery. Since launching in 2014, 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 and much more.
The charity relies on fundraisers and donations to make these improvements possible. A number of dedicated runners have taken on the Great North Run, raising thousands for the cause.
15 people are running for SHINE this year, the most the charity has ever had.
Gary Rose is running to give something back.
He works as a peer supporter in the Trust, someone who draws on their own lived experiences to share insight, understanding and empathy with others on their recovery journey.
He said: “CNTW has had a massive impact on my life in the last two years, supporting me personally as a service user and professionally as I explored new challenges in my career.
“I have seen firsthand the benefit the money can have. I’ve been inspired by the service users I’ve worked with and feel so proud of them for working to overcome their illness.
“I’ve been supported by staff on Springrise Ward and the community and crisis teams, so I wanted to see if there was a way I could give something back.”
Ethan Smith works as a joiner in the Estates Department at St Nicholas Hospital. He interacts with patients on wards and community bases daily.
He said: “It must be extremely hard to move to hospital on a long-term basis, for both patients and their families, but SHINE can help make things easier. I wanted to be able to contribute to the things that can help make someone’s stay in hospital more enjoyable and help with their wellbeing and rehabilitation.”
This isn’t the first time Ned Philcox has done the Great North Run for SHINE, having done so in 2023.
He said: “SHINE is close to my heart as it helps improve a person’s quality of life whilst they’re accessing our services.
“I’m feeling quietly confident about the Great North Run – this will be my fourth since 2022. The atmosphere is always unreal and I think it showcases the good humour, kindness and community spirit the North East is known for!”
This will be Martha Keane’s first time running the Great North Run. Her mum works for CNTW and Martha has seen the impact SHINE has on patients.
She added: “Through my mum I have an understanding of the importance of SHINE. It helps enhance patient care and provides the extras that can have such a positive impact on a patient’s treatment.”
Patients and Finance Cashiers Manager Ailsa Miller said: “On behalf of the Charity, we would like to thank our runners and wish them the best of luck for the run. We’re thrilled to have people representing our Charity and we hope they enjoy the experience of being part of such a memorable event.”
You can sponsor the runners here.