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Dad's marathon quad bike fundraiser
A SADDLE-SORE dad from Jarrow raised hundreds of pounds after hitting on the road for a marathon charity ride.
Ian Paterson recently completed a 300-mile sponsored quad ride on public roads around Kielder Water & Forest Park, Northumberland.
Over the 24-hour period, with his friend, Eddy Lynn, Mr Paterson managed to raise more than 700 for the Help for Heroes charity, which provided vital help to one of his sons.
Help for Heroes raises cash to aid military personnel serving their country.
The main beneficiary of the charity is Headley Court, a facility near Epsom, Surrey, which helps severely injured personnel from combat zones, such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
But the centre also provided vital medical support to one of Mr Paterson's sons.
He said: "Headley Court helped my eldest son, who was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis.
"It's a form of arthritis, that causes inflammation of the joints of the spine, and occasionally other joints and body parts.
"The unit also provides specialist nursing support, including cognitive therapy, counselling and psychological support – we can't thank them enough."
Mr Paterson had planned to ride from Jarrow to Headley Court, but added: "This proved to be totally impractical, as finding a route and gaining permission to ride would be prohibitive.
"I decided to approach Kielder Water & Forest Park, to gain permission to ride some of the 300 miles on the Forest Drive."
Laura Hull, events and community ranger with the Forestry Commission, said: "We're always happy to help fundraising initiatives in the park, and Ian has raised a lot of money for a deserving charity.
"He is already considering repeating the event next year."
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Weather for South Shields
Thursday 24 May 2012
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