❤️💙Team MISSEDABEAT Is Ready for Great North Run Weekend ❤️💙
What a week it’s been!
It’s been stressful, hectic and involved plenty of running around 😂, but it’s also been absolutely brilliant seeing everything come together for what is going to be a massive Great North Run weekend for MISSEDABEAT.
Tomorrow we have 25 junior runners representing us at the Junior Great North Run, followed by almost 50 runners taking on the Great North Run on Sunday. 🏃♀️🏃♂️
Take a look through the photographs and you’ll see some of our fantastic runners proudly wearing this year’s MISSEDABEAT vest, some of the businesses and individuals who have supported us, and just a little bit of what has gone on behind the scenes to get everything ready.
An amazing show of community support ❤️
We simply couldn’t put a weekend like this together without the support of some fantastic local people and businesses.
A massive THANK YOU to Shirley and the team at Tesco Newton Aycliffe, and Deanne and the team at Tesco Bishop Auckland, who have donated water, fruit, sweets, breakfast bars and other goodies for our runners.
A huge thank you to Matty at Thames Fruit & Veg in Newton Aycliffe, who has provided us with a fantastic supply of bananas and easy-peel oranges. 🍌🍊
Another massive thank you goes to Anthony and the team at Aldi Bishop Auckland, who kindly supported us with water, fruit bars, cereal and biscuit bars and other snacks to keep our runners going.
And another special thank you to Sharon Hutchinson from BNI Mighty Oak, Newton Aycliffe, who very kindly donated a fantastic fruit hamper to help our runners refuel and recharge over the weekend. 🍎🍌
Sharon is really passionate about supporting local bossiness abd ackually purchased the fruit hamper from Matty at Thames Fruit & Veg in Newton Aycliffe,
Thank you, Sharon — it will definitely be put to good use!
As you’ll see from the photographs, our juniors have their own finish-line table ready for tomorrow, packed with drinks, fresh fruit, snacks and a few well-earned sweets and treats waiting for them when they finish.
Then on Sunday, we’ll do it all again — only bigger! 😂
After 13.1 miles, our adult runners will have plenty of water, fruit and snacks waiting to help them refuel.
You shouldn’t struggle to find us! 👀😂
Our brand-new MISSEDABEAT flag has arrived — and it is certainly not small!
Keep your eyes peeled for it at the finish line. I’ll be there waiting to welcome Team MISSEDABEAT home. 🏁❤️💙
Alongside it you’ll also see our new STOP THE BLEED banner, which represents another important part of where MISSEDABEAT is heading as we work to put more Bleed Control Kits into our communities.
Thank you to our sponsors 💙
A massive thank you to Digital Edge, our marquee sponsor.
Ian and Allison continue to support MISSEDABEAT throughout the year, and it was brilliant catching up with them and getting a picture with this year’s running vest.
A huge thank you also goes to James and Pinpoint Electrical Services, our running vest sponsor for 2026. James and his team have also installed a number of cabinets in and around the northeast for MISSEDABEAT another one of are electrical angels.
Their support has helped us get our fantastic running vests ready for the weekend. Seeing nearly 75 children and adults proudly wearing the MISSEDABEAT colours across Saturday and Sunday is going to be something really special.
Looking after Team MISSEDABEAT
📸 We’re delighted to have Michael Gibson Photography as part of Team MISSEDABEAT this weekend.
Michael will be there tomorrow capturing our junior runners and will be back again on Sunday, hopefully catching some fantastic moments as our Great North Run team makes its way to the finish.
We’re also really pleased to have Carol from MVP Sports Massage Therapy – MVP Performance & Wellbeing joining us at the finish on Sunday.
After 13.1 miles, there are definitely going to be some tired legs! Carol will be on hand offering sports massage support to our runners, particularly anyone struggling with tight or tired muscles after they cross that finish line.
Another fantastic local business giving up their time to look after our team. Massive thank you, Carol! 🙌
People giving their time. Businesses donating products. Companies sponsoring us. Children and adults putting themselves through the miles.
It all adds up — and it all helps MISSEDABEAT continue doing what we do. ❤️
Installing a defibrillator is only the start 🚨
This weekend is obviously about our runners, but it is also about why they are running.
The money they raise isn’t simply going into a charity pot.
Over recent months, MISSEDABEAT has had a massive push on maintaining the community defibrillators we oversee — replacing batteries, pads and hygiene kits and making sure these lifesaving devices are emergency-ready.
We are also overseeing and funding a number of new projects and are currently preparing a significant order of Bleed Control Kits, with the aim of placing these alongside many of the community defibrillators we already look after.
That will help make Newton Aycliffe and our surrounding communities even safer.
But there is another issue I feel extremely strongly about.
National figures show that more than 1 in 10 registered defibrillators can be unavailable when needed.
Unfortunately, MISSEDABEAT has also identified a number of defibrillators here in Newton Aycliffe that are currently unavailable.
What concerns me even more is that you wouldn’t necessarily know that by walking past them.
You see a defibrillator cabinet on a wall and quite understandably assume there is an accessible, emergency-ready defibrillator inside.
But that isn’t always the case.
Imagine someone suffers a cardiac arrest nearby.
Someone remembers seeing that defibrillator cabinet every day and runs to it believing they are going to bring back a lifesaving device — only to discover it isn’t accessible or there isn't an available defibrillator inside.
Those minutes matter.
For me, a cabinet that gives the public the impression a defibrillator is available when it isn’t can actually be worse than having no cabinet there at all, because someone may waste precious time running towards something they genuinely believe is going to help save a life.
That shouldn’t happen.
This is why MISSEDABEAT isn’t interested in simply putting a defibrillator on a wall, taking a photograph and walking away.
The job doesn’t end when the cabinet is installed.
Defibrillators need to be registered, checked, maintained, monitored and kept emergency-ready.
Pads expire. Batteries need replacing. Devices get activated. Equipment can be removed. Cabinets can develop faults.
Someone has to make sure that device is ready when somebody’s life depends on it.
That is a massive part of what MISSEDABEAT does — and that’s exactly where the money our runners raise helps.
❤️ Replacing batteries and pads💙 Providing hygiene equipment❤️ Keeping community defibrillators emergency-ready💙 Funding new lifesaving equipment❤️ Introducing Bleed Control Kits into our communities
Ultimately, it helps us save lives.
One final push for Team MISSEDABEAT 🏃♀️🏃♂️
Now we’re asking everyone for one final push.
There’s a good chance that amongst our runners you’ll recognise a friend, family member, work colleague or someone from your community who is taking part for MISSEDABEAT.
Two of those young runners are Annie and Mia, who will be proudly wearing their MISSEDABEAT colours alongside the rest of our juniors tomorrow. ❤️💙
Whether you can spare £1, £2, £5, £10 or whatever you can afford, every donation genuinely makes a difference.
👉 Donate to MISSEDABEAT ❤️💙
If you would like to support Annie, Mia and the rest of Team MISSEDABEAT, every donation — no matter how big or small — will help us maintain and provide lifesaving defibrillators, replace vital equipment and introduce Bleed Control Kits into our communities.
And if you’re eligible, please remember to add Gift Aid. MISSEDABEAT can receive an additional 25p for every £1 donated, at absolutely no extra cost to you.
Tomorrow belongs to our 25 amazing junior runners. ❤️
Sunday belongs to our Great North Run team. 💙
After everything that has gone into getting this weekend ready, I genuinely can’t wait to stand underneath that massive MISSEDABEAT flag at the finish line and see those red, white and blue vests coming towards us.
To every single person running, sponsoring, donating, volunteering, giving up their time or supporting MISSEDABEAT this weekend — THANK YOU.
Now let’s enjoy it! ❤️💙
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