St Benedict’s Hospice has published its 2026 fundraising calendar, giving residents in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear an early chance to sign up for two major September events. The early February announcement gives local people around seven months to train and raise money for the charity, which provides specialist palliative care in the community.
The first major event is the Great North Run, which takes place on Sunday 13 September 2026. This will be followed two weeks later by the hospice’s BIG Walk for St Benedict’s on Sunday 27 September 2026 — a long-standing local fundraising tradition whose route varies year to year; participants should check the event page for the confirmed route.
According to the hospice’s fundraising briefing, these events are vital because the charity must raise roughly one-third of its running costs through public donations. Those funds help pay for free specialist care, bereavement support and other services and extras that NHS funding does not cover.
The BIG Walk is a popular, inclusive community event open to people of different fitness levels. Local residents can support the hospice by registering for a place in the run or walk, or by signing up to help as an event volunteer.
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