Local charities spread awareness ahead of Great North Run 2018

Sue Hills, the mother of the late Alice Ruggles is running the Great North Run in aid of the Alice Ruggles Trust. Alice was killed by her ex-boyfriend Trimaan Dhillon who stalked her.

Sue wants to raise awareness of the Trust and wants people to know that stalking is wrong:

“We have made a stalking poster and want people to share it on social media. It needs to go out to everyone, especially young people like Alice so that if they are in a situation like Alice was, they know to do something about it.”

The message the Trust wants to put out is that stalking is wrong, illegal and that it needs to stop.

Alice’s mother thinks there is a need for much more work to be done to publicise and identify stalking and controlling behaviour, to tackle the root causes, and to stop them developing out of control.

Another inspirational woman who is running in this year’s Great North Run is Claire Coulthard, a peer support group facilitator at Red Balloons in Stockton-On-Tees.

Red Balloons is about peer support. Any level of fitness is welcome and any interest in physical activity is celebrated. It is a place where you can discuss your mental health in a safe place. Red Balloons celebrates everyone, no matter what their achievement.

Claire has previously struggled with mental health issues, but praises the help of Middlesbrough and Stockton MIND who have helped with her recovery. Claire has been a regular volunteer for Middlesbrough and Stockton MIND since April 2018 and thanks the organisation for helping her on her mental journey.

Claire is overwhelmed by the support she has received and wants to encourage others to sign up for the Great North Run in the future.

She says: “You can set your mind to it. It is not about what you look like, what you do as a job. You can do anything. If I can, anyone can.”

Great North Run takes place this Sunday, September 9, 2018 between Newcastle and South Shields.