IN PICTURES: Derry runners raise over £1,630 for Action Cancer

Fitness trainer Bubba led a warm-up before the run which saw people of all ages and abilities, including dozens of children and families, take on the 5K route.

The run, which was free to enter, raised over £1,630 for Centra’s charity partner Action Cancer, with funds still coming in, to help keep its mobile health detection clinic, the Big Bus on the road. The Big Bus visits communities across the north delivering its free services including health checks to men and women over the age of 16, and life-saving breast screening to women aged 40-49 and 70+, (outside of NHS screening age).

Among the participants were 11-year-old Abbey Davidson from Belfast who raised £510 for Action Cancer by cutting her hair short.

Run Together, part of the retailer’s Live Well initiative, is designed to encourage people of all ages and abilities to adopt an active lifestyle by running, jogging or walking, through a series of free 5k runs in towns and cities across the country – Enniskillen, Bangor, Derry, Armagh and Belfast – between May and October, while raising vital funds for its charity partner Action Cancer.

Commenting on the event, Jennifer Morton, Centra brand manager, said: “We were thrilled to be back in Derry for the first time since 2019 and it was fantastic to see so many people come out and take part.

“There was such a positive atmosphere around and it was great to see how much everyone enjoyed taking part. We’d like to thank all the participants for their generous donations to Action Cancer.”

Lucy McCusker, Corporate fundraising manager for Action Cancer, added: “We’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who came to Queen’s Quay and took part in Centra’s Run Together. Thanks to the generosity of the participants and their sponsors, we raised over £1,600 which will help provide free breast screening services to women outside of NHS screening age and health checks to men and women over the age of 16.”