Disabled residents at Newcastle care home take on Great North Run for charity
Disabled residents at a Newcastle care home will take on the Great North Run on Sunday 13 September. Ross Jones and Nigel Grahamslaw, who are both wheelchair users, will raise money for disability charity Leonard Cheshire.
Ross and Nigel live at the charity’s Bradbury Wing home in Jesmond Dene, which supports up to 20 disabled adults.
Ross, an enthusiastic character who loves the chance to get out and about, became involved after seeing Nigel enter last year’s event. Watching out for his friend on TV, Ross set his sights on the Great North Run 2026. He says he feels “really excited” about the race and “very proud” to raise money for Leonard Cheshire.
Ross, 46, and Nigel, 63, will be accompanied by a group of volunteers, relatives and Bradbury Wing staff.
Joining Team Ross is deputy manager Jenni Roughead, a Great North Run veteran with more than 10 races for Leonard Cheshire.
Jenni said:
I can’t wait to do the Great North Run with Ross. I love the atmosphere throughout the event – the people in the north east are so supportive and encouraging. Some people hand out sweets at the end too, giving us a much-needed boost! It’s a brilliant day!
Returning Team Nigel is his daughter Sophie and their friend, another Sophie.
Also helping out Ross and Nigel are domestic assistant Leon and 17-year-old Leonard Cheshire volunteer Aidan Stagg. A regular visitor, popular for his friendly attitude and skilled magic tricks, Aidan is the son of dedicated staff member Lisa.
To sponsor the group’s brilliant efforts, head to the fundraising pages for Ross and Jenni; Nigel, Sophie, and Sophie; Aidan Stagg and Leon.
Bradbury Wing was rated ‘Good’ in all areas in a recent report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The regulator highlighted the strong leadership, positive culture and, most importantly, the compassionate and personalised support for residents. Inspectors found that staff clearly knew people well and supported them to achieve positive outcomes.
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