Derbyshire man takes on 13 mile run to support lifesaving children’s service

Matthew Bradbury from Derbyshire has raised over £300 in support of the national Children’s Air Ambulance (TCAA) charity – helping critically ill babies and children across the UK.

On 11 September, Matthew put on his trainers and took on the Great North Run in Newcastle Upon Tyne, running a total of 13 miles in an amazing time of 02:08.

Matthew chose the vital Children’s charity as his employer Rubber Safety Hygiene Ltd – Sheffield’s leading supplier of industrial products – made TCAA its Charity of the Year due to the impact the service has across the region.

“I’ve always wanted to do the run for the experience and thought this would be a great opportunity to do this in support of our charity of the year. They provide a lifesaving service that is vital for babies and children across the UK,” explained Matthew.

“The run itself was a lot harder than I expected, but I’m glad I was able to complete it to support this essential service, as without our help many children wouldn’t be here today,” he added.

The Children’s Air Ambulance is a national service, changing the face of paediatric and neonatal care through the high-speed transfer of critically ill babies and children – flying them from one hospital to another for specialist care via the clinically designed helicopters which provide a flying intensive care unit for babies and children.

The charity works alongside 11 NHS Clinical Partner Teams across the UK, including The Embrace Yorkshire & Humber Infant & Children’s Transport Service (Embrace) – part of the Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundations Trust.

TCAA Community Fundraising Executive, Sharon Evans said, “Support like this from local communities and businesses is important to the charity as we receive no government funding and rely solely on donations such as these to remain operational.”

“We would like to say a huge thank you to Matthew for taking on the Great North Run – in an amazing time – to support us, ensuring we can continue to provide our vital service for critically ill babies and children.”

The charity is celebrating its 10th anniversary of lifesaving high-speed transfers in 2023. For more information about the charity, call 0300 3045 999 or visit www.childrensairambulance.org.uk