Local residents raise £3,000 on Roker to South Shields walk for Cancer Research

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Team members including Colin Burgin Plews, who is known as the Big Pink Dress.

On Sunday, March 26, 135 people took part in a special walk, trekking all the way from Roker pier to South Shields pier.

The incredible event was organised as part of March On Cancer - a nationwide campaign encouraging those to walk in the month of March in order to raise money and awareness for Cancer Research UK.

The funds raised by the Pier to Pier team go towards Cancer Research UK via Jarrow Relay For Life, which helps fund trials and research in the North East.

135 people took part in the Pier to Pier walk.

They raised an astonishing £3,000, which takes their Relay total to just under £32,000 for the year so far.

Team members included Colin Burgin Plews, also known as Big Pink Dress, who regularly takes part in charity events in order to raise money for cancer or other charities, David Ansell who is taking on the challenge of walking ten miles a day for 1,000 days and 78-year-old Pam Evans who took part in the walk dressed as Superwoman.

Jarrow Relay For Life committee member Ann Walsh, who took part in the walk, said: “It was extremely cold and windy and we had hailstones for about 10 minutes near the Leas which made it even more of a challenge but also a bigger achievement.”

The team are currently looking for more people to take part in this year's Relay For Life which will take place at Monkton Stadium on July 15.

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