Join Keith on the run for charity

AN Oldham man who set up a charity after losing his daughter to leukaemia is appealing to locals to join him on the Great Manchester Run.

Keith Jones and his wife, Lorraine, set up the Samantha Jones Trust in memory of their daughter, who died in 2002 at the age of 18.

The charity has since raised thousands of pounds to help young people who suffer from the disease and the Great Manchester Run could be another money spinner.

Keith has already pledged to run the 10km stretch on May 17 with his daughter, Natalie (26), and the family have secured some high-profile support in the shape of Chaddy the Owl.

Keith said: “We have 11 places left and we’d love to get them filled soon. It’s a great local charity and the Great Manchester Run is always a good day out.

“All 33,000 individual places have now gone, so the only means of getting involved at this stage is to sign up for a charity place.”

The Samantha Jones Trust raises money to help pay for specialist equipment, including wheelchairs, for young people with leukaemia across the North-West.

The charity has donated money to the Pendlebury Children’s Hospital and regularly takes teenagers on day trips.

Registration for the race costs £35 and participants are asked to raise a minimum of £150.

Anyone who would like to run for the Samantha Jones Trust can contact the Delph-based charity on: 01457-829479.