Race on to restore charity run

Reporter: Marina Berry
Date published: 04 May 2011


A FAMILY set to take part in the cancelled Race for Life at Oldham’s Alexandra Park is campaigning for its reinstatement.

Derker mum Julie Smith is one of six women who had pledged to tackle the course on July 6 in memory of her mother, Lillian Thomas, and to show support for her brother, David Thomas.

David (44), is recovering after having a tumour removed from a kidney, and the family wanted to raise money for Cancer Research UK on his behalf.

“The first we heard of the cancellation was when we read it in the Chronicle,” Julie said.

“Cancer Research said not enough people had signed up, but it is still two months before the event, and I have spoken to several people who were intending to take part.”

Julie (47) and David’s wife, Mandy had teamed up with Julie’s 22-year-old daughter, Stacey Arnold, son Daniel’s partner Naomi Leach, Julie’s sister Evelyn Darin and family friend Karen Smith to take part in the event.

The charity blamed a steady decline in participants over the past few years.

A total of 2,000 women took part last year, compared with 2,600 in 2009 — and by Easter only 465 women had signed up to this year’s event.

A disappointed Julie, of Vulcan Street, said: “Even if there were only 500 taking part, they would still raise an awful lot of money for the charity.”

The family have now started a petition calling for the reinstatement of the event in Alexandra Park, which has been signed by almost 500 people since it was opened on Sunday.

Julie is urging Chronicle readers to add their name to get the charity to do a U-turn.

“We are really hoping to get it reinstated, but if not we will look at doing something on a smaller scale, without all the frills,” she said.

“The problem is we don’t know who the other 459 women are who had signed up, and we don’t know if we will be allowed to use Alexandra Park.”

The family were offered places at other Race for Life venues, but were unable to make the dates together.

They were also told by Cancer Research that their sponsors who had donated online would have to apply individually to the charity to get their money back.

“We don’t think it is right that people sponsor us for something we don’t do, so at the very least the six of us will walk round Alexandra Park together,” said Julie.

Race for Life event manager Laura Taylor said: “We will not be reinstating Oldham Race for Life this year because of the lower than expected sign-up for the event.

“We really do want the support of all the amazing women that signed up to take part at Oldham and would really encourage them to participate in any of the surrounding Race for Life events — this is something that Julie Smith and her family will hopefully chose to do.

“We are aware of the Facebook campaign in Oldham and have taken the comments very seriously. We have been attempting to respond to as many of the comments raised by individuals as possible to ensure that supporters fully understand the reasons behind this decision being made.”

Julie’s family will be collecting signatures on Monday at the Huddersfield Road Tesco superstore, Oldham, on the ground floor car park at the bottom of the escalators, from noon until early evening.

Supporters can also log on to www.gopetition.com/petition/kepp-the-race-for-life-in-oldham.html and leave comments of support on Facebook, searching for Keep Race For Life in Oldham.

Last Thursday’s report in the Chronicle prompted a number of readers to post comments on the Chronicle’s Facebook page complaining about the event being cancelled.