This has the Potential to be a year of achievement

Hi Sunshine News Readers

This is a really important week for that charity as yesterday, we launched our urgent appeal. We are asking our readers, supporters, families and business partners to come together and make a real difference to the lives of local children by helping us continue our charitable work in our region. Regular readers will know that the Covid 19 pandemic created the perfect storms for us as a small charity. More families than ever applied for equipment for their children as respite and therapy sessions stopped, yet at the same time our events and campaigns were canceled meaning our income dried up. As a for impact charity, we don't sit on huge reserves and limitless pots of cash, we raise funds to purchase equipment from our waiting list within our self imposed three month time frame and we are proud to be a not for profit organisation and 2020 was our biggest year yet. Money comes in, equipment is paid out! We have been supporting local families, schools and care facilities for almost 100 years and we want to be here for many more. Please look out for our videos, Chronicle pieces and social media stories over the month of March and if you can, please help; we need you!

This week we caught up with our 2021 Great North Run Sponsors, True Potential to see how the teams training is going. As our sponsors for the third year running, Team TP are big supporters of ours and love the campaign.

True Potential Chief Executive, Daniel Harrison will be taking part along with 9 other members of his team. Daniel said “It’s great to be sponsoring the Sunshine Fund again this year. This is the third year True Potential and the Sunshine Fund have worked together to support the most vulnerable in our local communities and to help more people achieve their full potential. We’re all hoping the Great North Run will go ahead this year and we’re looking forward to raising a lot of money for the Sunshine Fund so they can continue to help a lot of children and families. Myself and 9 others from True Potential will be on the start line for the Great North Run and we’re already in training! The Great North Run is always an amazing event for the region and it’s fantastic to see so many people challenging themselves and in doing so, raising a lot of money for great causes like The Chronicle Sunshine Fund.”

A newbie team member for 2021, Ben Brabyn, employee at True Potential, said:

“I’m really looking forward to running the Great North Run for Team Sunshine this year and hopefully raising a lot of money for the Sunshine Fund. I’ve already started training and this will be my first Great North Run, so I’m not entirely sure what to expect but I’m looking forward to it. The training is hard but knowing that what the team at True Potential is doing is going to help a lot of less fortunate children and young adults in the North East through the Sunshine Fund makes it all worthwhile. Each step will be for them”

Here’s a throw back photo of the full team getting involved in last years Great Car Park Run!

If you have one of our places this year, please keep an eye on your inbox for regular updates and a shout out to redeem your all important token! All of our Great North Run 2021 places are now taken however, If you are an own place runner you can still join Team Sunshine! Get in touch with our Fundraiser Ashleigh who leads on all things GNR via email on Ashleigh.allen@reachplc.com for more info. She will have you limbering up in no time!

Next week we will be introducing you to one of our long standing business supporters, ITV Signpost as we launch a series of subtitled videos to support our families further. Dont miss it!

Stay safe

Siobhan