Runners show their true colours to raise money for Hartlepool hospice

Covered from head to foot in paint of all shades fund-raisers ran along the coast at Seaton Carew in aid of the town’s hospice.

This was the second year Hartlepool and District Hospice had organised the 5k Colour Run and it was bigger and better than last year.

Janice Forbes, the community fund-raiser for the hospice, which cares for terminally ill people across Hartlepool and East Durham, said she was thrilled with the way the event went and delighted by the amount of people who took part.

Although all the money is still to come in, it is hoped the run will raise in the region of £10,000 in vital funding for the charity, which needs to raise a staggering £5,000 a day to keep its services running.

Janice said: “We had a lot more taking part this year than last year, which is great. We had 355 people register beforehand and loads just turned up on the day, there was more than 400 in total.

“Everybody loved it, it is just a great family event.”

Among those taking part was a team of ten members of staff from the town’s Mecca Bingo, who raised more than £1,000.

Caz Stainsby, 33, one of the team, said they wanted to do it because it was such good fun and raising money for a hugely important cause.

She said: “Both my grandads were cared for in the hospice and the staff were brilliant, they couldn’t do enough for us.”

Eleanor Hyde, 17, a pupil at English Martyrs’ sixth form, was the first female across the finish line.

She said: “It was really good fun and was for such a good cause.”

Sisters Shirley Wrann and Carol Chambers from Billingham, along with Shirley’s ten-year-old son, Ben, travelled across from Billingham to take part in the Colour Run and loved taking part.