A volunteer who has contributed towards raising more than £800,000 for Cancer Research has been recognised with an invitation to carry the Queen's Baton ahead of the Commonwealth Games.
Ann Walsh of East Boldon, who has been chair of the charity's Relay for Life in Jarrow, was nominated for the role of baton-bearer by South Tyneside Council. She will carry the Queen's Baton along the seafront at South Shields this Friday July 15 as part of its journey to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony.
The 294-day Queen's Baton Relay began last October and has included all 72 nations and territories of the Commonwealth. Its entire journey will have covered more than 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometres) by the time it reaches Birmingham, with Darlington, Durham, Seaham and Sunderland on the itinerary for Thursday July 14 and South Shields, Whitley Bay, Blyth, Alnwick, Gateshead and Newcastle on Friday.
READ MORE: Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay route from Cornwall to Birmingham via Newcastle
READ MORE: Metro park and ride sites get £3m boost for contactless payment, new CCTV, and better lighting
Ann, 63, was thrilled to find out she'd been selected to carry the baton during its short stint in the North East, following her nomination in recognition of her fundraising. said: "I'm very proud to be able to carry it, what an honour to be picked out of all those people."
The retired PE teacher was already a supporter of Cancer Research UK Race for Life and charity fundraiser when she was approached about Relay for Life by a parent of former pupils. Around that time, Ann's dad had just been diagnosed with lung cancer and a good friend had died of ovarian cancer.
Since then, Ann has lost both parents George and Peggy; and her younger sister to the disease. On Saturday, she'll be overseeing the 2022 Relay for Life event at Monkton Stadium in Jarrow, with volunteering helping her to deal with those losses.
Wave a virtual flag for your Commonwealth Games team. Send your message of support here
She continued: "We were hit particularly hard as a family by cancer. Being involved in all the fundraising has helped in a way – it’s a way of dealing with it. I know I couldn’t really do anything to help my family but I can maybe fundraise enough to stop somebody else’s family going through it."
In the last 14 years, Relay for Life Jarrow has raised £810,000, with Ann's family supporting her and her daughter Rebecca. Ann said that her expectations for this year have been exceeded, with people responding generously, despite the cost of living crisis.
Cancer Research UK relationship manager for the North East Nicky McKenna said: "Ann Walsh, chair of Cancer Research UK’s Relay For Life Jarrow, has been leading the way for her community in the fight against cancer for more than 14 years. She works tirelessly, selflessly and is an absolute inspiration, raising well over three quarters of a million pounds, allowing Cancer Research UK to make life-saving discoveries.
What fundraising events have you done for charity? Let us know in the comments section.
"By leading Relay for Life Jarrow’s committee, organising and co-ordinating every detail of our 22 hour event, Ann has ensured that the communities of the North East can come together to celebrate those who have survived cancer, remember those we’ve lost and fight back by raising funds for our charity. Ann’s work is something to be both admired and celebrated. The invitation for her to carry The Queen’s Baton in the Commonwealth Games relay is a fitting acknowledgment to an outstanding, kind, formidable woman."
Read next
