Kaiser Chief Ricky to tackle the Great North Run ahead of charity celebration

The frontman will be starting the run and taking part in the half marathon for the first time and will feature on the BBC coverage on the start line.

He will then appear at a gig later that day in aid of the newly-formed Graham Wylie Foundation.

It will see some of the leading names in music perform in the North East at the launch of the inaugural Rock n Raise, ‘making every note count’, concert.

The gig will take place at the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena on the evening of the Great North Run on September 11, supported by the Great Run Company.

Irish rock band Kodaline will also be performing, with other acts to be announced in the coming months.

High profile celebrities from the region and beyond have already offered their support for the initiative, including Ant and Dec, Alan Shearer and Roger Daltrey CBE.

Rock n Raise is in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, Nordoff Robbins and the Graham Wylie Foundation.

All monies raised will stay in the region.

Launched by Graham Wylie, the founder of Sage and one of the North East’s best known entrepreneurs, the foundation is one of a rare few charities to hand all of donations to deserving causes.

Mr Wylie is meeting all running, staff and administration costs to ensure every single penny raised and donated goes to his aim of helping, inspiring and educating children across the region.

Angie Jenkison, the foundation’s chief executive, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be launching Rock n Raise in the North East on Great North Run day.

“This is a major coup for the region and will see some of the UK’s leading musicians and bands arrive on Tyneside.

"It will also be our first major fundraising event for the foundation which we hope to establish annually."I’m delighted to partner with the Teenage Cancer Trust and Nordoff Robbins for this exciting initiative, in what will be a ground-breaking event for the Graham Wylie Foundation.”

The Great North Run is supporting the event, with tickets being made exclusively available to the Great North Run Family via a unique URL before going on general sale.

Ricky said: “We can’t wait to come up to Newcastle to support such deserving causes."The North East is always a special place to perform, the crowd is always amazing and it’s impossible not to feel energised when the audience is so fantastic, even if you have just run a half marathon.”

Run founder Brendan Foster, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Ricky to join us at the Great North Run."It’s fantastic our entrants will get the first opportunity to join the party, and we hope many of them will get behind this fantastic cause.”

Siobhan Dunn, chief executive of Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Music is at the heart of Teenage Cancer Trust and the young people we work with, so it’s great to be part of such a fantastic show with the backing of so many of the North East’s biggest names.

"Our friends the Kaiser Chiefs have been great supporters over the years and are a brilliant choice to take part. Right now for every young person we support there is another we can’t reach, and this fantastic event will help us change this.”

Julie Whelan, chief executive, Nordoff Robbins, added: “Nordoff Robbins is really excited to be part of the inaugural year for the Graham Wylie Foundation, Rock n Raise event and extremely grateful to the Kaiser Chiefs for being part of this very special night of music.

"The money raised through this event will help us develop our work in Newcastle and will enable many more vulnerable people to access life changing music therapy.”