Charity run brought back by new motorcycle group

Posted by The Journal on Jan 20, 10 04:56 PM in News

Caring bikers are riding to the rescue of a popular North East charity event which nearly reached the end of the road after almost two decades.

Every year since 1991, scores of leather-clad motorcyclists have taken part in the annual Easter Egg run organised by the Northumberland Bikers' club.

They collected thousands of chocolate eggs donated by customers at various pubs and clubs and then set off in a huge motorbike convoy to deliver them to children and elderly people in hospitals and homes across Northumberland and Tyneside.

Twelve months ago the club announced the 2009 run would be the last ever, citing increasing red tape, organisational problems and lack of support from the police and local authorities.

The event appeared to have run its course, ending the annual Easter treat for recipients, but now another bikers' group has stepped in to keep it going.

Members of the Blyth- based South East Northumberland Motorcycle Action Group (SENMAG) have already enlisted the help of about 10 local pubs where Easter eggs, chocolate bars and money will be collected between now and Easter weekend.

On April 3, bikers will set off from the Woodhorn Museum near Ashington to pick up the goodies up from the Plough in Ellington, the Widdrington Inn, the Schooner Inn at Amble, the Mason Arms in Warkworth, the Market Tavern in Alnwick, the White Swan at Morpeth and the Percy Arms, Clayton Arms and Black Bull in Bedlington.

The following day the eggs, together with money collected at the pubs, will be delivered to children's homes in Northumberland and to children's wards at Wansbeck General in Ashington and the Freeman, General and RVI in Newcastle.

In addition, a charity rock night will be held on the Saturday in the Sports and Social Club in Coomassie Road, Blyth, to raise funds for the Help the Heroes forces' charity.

SENMAG, which was set up in October, is one of the local branches of the national Motorcycle Action Group, which lobbies on behalf of motorcyclists and has 10,000 members nationally and about 620 in the North East.

Yesterday group member Kitson Warrener, 36, a HGV driver who lives in Blyth, said: "We knew the Northumberland Bikers were not going to do the Easter Egg run again and it didn't look like anyone else was going to keep it going, so we decided to start a new run.

"All the cash raised for and during the run will be split between the children's homes and hospitals. We are only going to deliver the Easter eggs and chocolate bars to children this year, because it is easier for us to set up.

"We might try to help old people's homes in the future."

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