Banbridge Group Surgery staff ready for run

The runners - made up of pharmacists, admin staff, physios, practice nurses and doctors - will be raising funds for a charity close to their hearts, Action Cancer.

The team’s fundraising page outlines the inspiration behind the challenge: “Cancer has touched the lives of many within our community - our patients, colleagues and their families.

“It is a reality that we cannot ignore, and it drives us to take action. We are committed to making a positive impact by supporting Action Cancer, a charity that tirelessly works to assist those living with cancer while also striving to reduce and prevent this disease for future generations.

“Our vision is clear: we aspire to create a future where cancer risk is minimised, where cancers are detected early and treated successfully, and where everyone affected by this illness feels supported and empowered.

“We invite you to join us in this mission. Together, we can make a difference.”

‘Team Surgery’ spokesperson, Dr Eoin Tipping, told the Chronicle the runners were raring to go!

He explained that the team was a mixture of experienced and novice athletes.

“A couple of people have done marathons before, but I would say most of them are beginners,” he commented.

“We’ve had people who’ve gone from not running ever to recently doing park runs, and a lot of the girls did a ‘couch to 5k’ programme.

“There’s a lot of first time runners, so hopefully they’ll catch the bug!

“We’re all doing the relay, so there will be three teams. All three doctors are doing the longest leg, myself, Dr. Ramsay and Dr. Dillon.

“We’ll all just be happy to finish it and raise as much money as we can for our chosen charity, Action Cancer.

“We were motivated to fundraise following Dr. Dillon’s cancer diagnosis last year, and we've had other members of staff who have been affected by the illness as well, both present and retired. Obviously, it's also something we see in our working lives.

“I floated the idea last summer and, after much cajoling, people decided to get onboard.

“We have a JustGiving page which has £2,300 in donations to date.”

Dr Tipping added: “We can’t wait! We’ve got a support team, so anybody who isn't involved in the actual running, they've all offered to do lifts and support us on the way round the course.

“We’ve done individual fundraising before, but I don't think we've had 15 members of staff representing the surgery in one big event like this.

“I’m just happy that it's got people out exercising. It’s setting an example for our patients and our families as well that we've decided to take something like this on, with vast differing abilities athletic-wise, and that’s what I’ve taken from the experience.

“I’ve done marathons and triathlons myself, but this really makes me happy because other people have got involved.”

The 2025 Moy Park Belfast City Marathon team relay follows the same route as the main marathon race, starting at Stormont Estate and finishing at Ormeau Park.

The Banbridge Group Surgery team are grateful for every donation they receive towards their charity challenge.

Chronicle readers can contribute by visiting: https://www.justgiving.com/team/bgs