Member Article

Insolvency practitioner tackles Great North Run to support colleague with leukaemia

A partner at one of the North East’s biggest independent accountancy firms is preparing for the gruelling Great North Run, to raise money for the hospital unit treating a colleague recently diagnosed with leukaemia.

Peter Gray, who works out of Rowlands Accountancy’s Restructuring and Insolvency offices in Yarm and Birtley, is taking on the 13.1 mile half-marathon on Sunday September 15 in aid of the haematology unit at North Tees Hospital.

He said: “Running a half marathon will be tough, but not as tough as fighting leukaemia.

“I knew that the guys at the haematology unit do great work, but it was really brought home to me when my good friend and business partner Harvey Madden was diagnosed with leukaemia earlier in the year. They are really looking after him and he is making tremendous progress.”

Peter is aiming to raise £2,000 for the North Tees & Hartlepool NHS FT Charitable Fund, which uses donations to enhance aspects of patient care and staff development that are not funded by the NHS. His donation will be used to directly help the hundreds of people living with leukaemia that the North Tees haematology unit supports.

Harvey Madden, who heads Rowlands insolvency practice from its Yarm office, discovered earlier this year that he was suffering from leukaemia, a cancer that affects the blood cells, bone marrow or lymphatic system.

He said: “It was a massive shock when I was diagnosed with acute leukaemia following an initial week in the haematology unit at North Tees Hospital. I had only asked for doctors’ advice because I was feeling tired and listless.

“The treatment is ongoing but the haematology unit staff have been first rate and wonderfully supportive. It is a physical as well as mental help.”

Staff from Rowlands Accountancy, which provides audit and accountancy, tax and planning, restructuring and insolvency, development and consultancy services from six offices in Durham, Tyne & Wear, Teesside and Northumberland, have a strong track record of charitable work focused on the North East.

Earlier this year, six cyclists from the firm took part in the ‘Round Rowlands’ charity bike ride, covering almost 200 miles in two days by visiting each of the firm’s offices in the region. The £10,000 raised was donated to two health charities - Henry Dancer Days and The Daisy Chain Project – supporting children and families in the North East.

Peter Gray has set up a Just Giving Page to collect donations and sponsorship for the Great North Run, which can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/Rowlands-Accountants-GNR2013.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sarah Waddington .