A team of 13 Firefighters from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service will be running across the country from Newcastle to Leicester this Friday (31 March 2023) – a total of 200 miles!

Group of Firefighters raising awareness for Oliver Maw

This is the return leg from last October when a team of Leicestershire Firefighters ran as a relay from Leicester to Newcastle raising life-saving funds for an eight-year-old child who has a rare and aggressive form of Cancer.

Oliver Maw is currently undergoing treatment but requires a lifesaving vaccine only attainable in the USA to reduce the chances of Oliver’s cancer returning.

Firefighters from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service heard about Oliver’s fundraiser and wanted to do their bit. On 28 October 2022, they decided to take on a mammoth challenge and ran from their Leicestershire base up to Newcastle in an impressive 30-hours.

Once they crossed the finishing line the firefighters handed over the charity baton to colleagues from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS), who happily accepted the return challenge.

The TWFRS team will set off running in full fire kit, leaving Newcastle at 7:30am on Friday 31 March and will be arriving in Leicester on Saturday 1 April. The whole team, Oliver and his triplet brothers will be crossing the line together at the Marriott Hotel, Grove Park, Smith Way, at approximately 2.00pm.

They are hoping to raise £10,000 to go towards Oliver’s treatment and are asking for support and donations or by sharing their JustGiving page.

For further information on TWFRS challenge, please click here.

Please take the time to read Oliver’s story on the Just Giving page.

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors:
Interviews can be arranged through prior arrangement with Corporate Communications on the details below.

About the Service

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service provides emergency response, prevention and protection services from 20 stations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Its headquarters is based in Birstall, Leicester.

During 2021/22, we attended a total of 8,259 emergency incidents, including 1,968 fires and 707 road traffic collisions. A total of 12,938 Home Safety Checks were completed and we fitted 3,546 smoke alarms. 233 schools were visited as part of the Service’s schools programme, delivering fire and road safety education to 6,724 pupils.

The Service’s prevention, education, enforcement and inspection programmes have resulted in significant reductions in the number of incidents attended.

Contact:

Corporate Communications

Direct: 0116 210 5755

Corporate.communications@leics-fire.gov.uk

Download a PDF version here.

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A group of female Fire Cadets and Community Safety Educators in front of a Fire Engine