A 63-year-old man who has raised more than £40,000 for Southport charities is donning his running shoes for one last challenge.

Neil Shallcross, Ceremonial Crew at Moisters (Co-op) Funeralcare, has run more than 100 10km races, over 30 half marathons and one London Marathon for charity, and is now training for his final dash on Sunday 26 May in a bid to reach his target of £50,000.

Beginning his fundraising journey in the late 1990s, Neil hosted mixed doubles dart tournaments for charity in the Koronet pub in Southport. He then embarked on sponsored walks for the Special Care Baby Unit, Sunshine House, which supports those who are blind, Peterhouse School and the Spinal Unit, all Southport charities. These saw Neil walk from Liverpool to Southport, Wigan pier to Southport pier, and Blackpool to Southport – a total of 70 miles!

In 2012, Neil suffered a stroke and his wife, Yvonne, was diagnosed with head and neck cancer. This kickstarted Neil’s emotional journey into running and since then, he has completed the Great North Run for 12 years in a row on behalf of the head and neck unit at Aintree University Hospital and Queenscourt Hospice, for which he has raised £26,000.

He said: “I’m thrilled to say that I have run over 1,000 miles and raised over £40,000 for charities in Southport that are so close to my heart. I can’t wait to lace my running shoes for a good cause once more and soak up the amazing race day atmosphere right here in Manchester.”

Ragan Galley, Funeral Service Manager at Southport Care Centre, said: “I am immensely proud of Neil for his dedication to raising money to help others in need. It means a lot to be able to work with someone who goes so above and beyond to make a difference.

“Here at Co-op Funeralcare, we’re passionate about giving back to the community and supporting people in any way we can. If his fundraising isn’t proof enough, Neil is an all-round selfless character and is truly an asset to the team at Moisters Funeralcare. Congratulations on all of your hard work and for raising such an impressive amount for Southport’s local charities – a huge well done from the whole team, Neil!”

Neil’s final fundraising challenge is the Manchester 10km on behalf of The Christie cancer treatment hospital, where his colleague and friend Steven Davies, Funeral Director at Co-op’s Preston Funeralcare, was recently treated during his recovery from throat cancer. Neil is encouraging anyone who can to donate to his JustGiving page: Neil Shallcross is fundraising for THE CHRISTIE CHARITY (justgiving.com).

In recent years, Neil worked as a volunteer, collecting charity tins from pubs and hairdressers and marshalling at charity events.

He said: “Volunteering for Queenscourt Hospice is extremely rewarding and I’ve been hooked since the day I started!”

Find out more about Co-op Funeralcare, Moisters: Funeral Directors in Southport, Sefton Street - Co-op (coop.co.uk)