PICKERING runner John Knowles is determined to raise plenty of cash for his local Scout group - for a very good reason.

The assistant Scout leader is taking part in this Sunday's Great North Run for the 19th time, and hopes to raise up to £900 towards the £80,000 needed to replace the group's ageing meeting place.

The father-of-four knows he will have a good support team behind him on the day.

His 11-year-old son, Christopher, and eight-year-old son, Andrew, are both Scouts, who promise to be cheering him on as he completes the half-marathon.

Joining in the cheers will be six-year-old David, who is a Beaver, and in the wings will be Matthew, four, who will no doubt be following in his brothers' footsteps as soon as he is old enough.

Chiropodist John said: "You can see the vested interest I have with this run. I don't do the Great North Run every year for charity, but I thought I might as well this year." The group's meeting place has deteriorated rapidly since it was donated to them about 40 years ago, and there are ambitious plans to rebuild an improved facility, with better disabled access, to make the hut accessible for all.

Also taking part in the Great North Run is a couple whose son died after spending time in the York Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU).

Linda and Mags Vandepeear, of Full Sutton, near York, are hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for the unit at York District Hospital. They want to thank the staff who cared for their son, Alexander.

Alexander was born 12 weeks early on June 26 last year weighing just 2lb 1oz and he went straight into intensive care at the SCBU.

He spent 110 days on the unit and he also underwent a heart operation at Leeds General Infirmary.

A couple of days before he died in October last year Linda, Mags and their daughter, Rebecca, were able to touch, cuddle and feed Alexander for the first time.

They even took him for a walk outside in a pram. He died in his father's arms in October last year.

Linda said: "We feel that because we were given those two days to say goodbye to him it helped us a lot. We were able to tell him how much we loved him and show him photographs, although he couldn't see them, and read him stories and poems which we had hoped to read in the future, but we were never given the chance."

Linda said that they now want to raise as much money as possible for SCBU and she even ran the London Marathon this year in Alexander's memory.

If anyone wants to support the Vandepeears they can contact them on 01759 372778.

Updated: 08:33 Friday, October 04, 2002