Barchester staff have raised a fantastic £1,675 for charity by taking part in this year’s Great North Run.

The funds were raised in support of Barchester’s Charitable Foundation which supports older people and other adults living with a disability or mental health problems by helping them to connect or re-connect with others in their local communities.

Chairperson of Barchester’s Charitable Foundation, Simon McCall, commented: “I am extremely proud of all of our runners and inspired by their achievement, the funds raised will help to support and connect many vulnerable and isolated people in our local communities. It is fantastic to see our colleagues going above and beyond to raise funds for the Foundation, I cannot thank them enough for their commitment.”

A team of four intrepid Barchester colleagues – Gary Anson, Gavin O’Callaghan, Taylor Dowes and Tom Hodges – followed the traditional half marathon route from Newcastle, through Gateshead to South Shields, marking months of training, fundraising and hard work. The day started off warmly, however, for many the celebrations were cut short by the extreme weather which took hold of the Northeast later that afternoon.

Of Barchester’s team of runners, Gary Anson led the way with a great time of 2 hours 4 minutes, closely followed by Tom Hodges who completed the race in 2 hours 13 minutes. The runners all had a brilliant day despite the extreme weather challenges.