The Brain Charity

For Melissa, taking on the Great North Run was about more than crossing the finish line. It was a way to honour her beloved grandad, channel her grief into something positive and raise money for The Brain Charity. 

The 24-year-old from Newcastle works for the NHS as an educational mental health practitioner, supporting children in schools. Outside work, she loves music, going to gigs and spending time outdoors. Running, however, was a relatively new passion, one that began with a challenge and became something deeply personal. 

Remembering her grandad 

Melissa’s grandad was someone she admired enormously, and she admired his curiosity about the world. But it was his kindness and sense of humour that made him so special to her. 

Melissa told us: 

“He was the most amazing man I’ve ever met. He was literally the smartest person I’ve known, really. He was interested in everything, politics, the world, planes, anything that had an engine. He was so kind. He was very soft with me, and I got to see a really lovely, soft side of him that not many people knew.” 

He also had a wonderfully dry sense of humour and loved teasing the people around him. 

Melissa told us: 

“He’d be really cheeky, and he’d know he’d been cheeky because he’d give us a wink. He was trying to wind people up all the time, but I loved him. He was the best.” 

After Melissa’s grandmother died in 2022, her grandad began living alone. Over time, the family noticed changes in his behaviour and increasing confusion. He was eventually diagnosed with dementia with Lewy bodies, a condition that can affect thinking, movement and perception, and can cause hallucinations. 

For Melissa, seeing these changes in someone who had always been so aware of the world was particularly difficult. 

Melissa told us: 

“I found it really difficult seeing how different he became, and how his personality changed over time, to the point where he wasn’t himself anymore, but still was, right down to his very core.” 

Although the experience was challenging, Melissa’s love for her grandad never changed. Taking on the Great North Run gave her a way to remember him while doing something meaningful in his name. 

Turning grief into a challenge 

Melissa first became interested in the Great North Run after watching it on television in 2025. She had already begun making changes to her lifestyle and decided to try the Couch to 5K programme. 

When her grandad died, she was partway through her running journey. She wanted something to work towards, a goal that would help her keep going with training while giving her grief a positive focus. 

Melissa told us: 

“I just needed to channel my grief into something a little bit more productive. I needed a tangible goal to help me with my running, but also to help me with my grief.” 

When looking for a charity to support, Melissa wanted to find one that worked with people living with Lewy body dementia. Discovering The Brain Charity felt like a natural fit, particularly because of our work supporting people affected by a wide range of neurological conditions. 

Melissa told us: 

“I was looking at charities that worked with dementia, but none of them really seemed to work with dementia with Lewy bodies. Then I saw The Brain Charity listed among the different conditions it supports, and I thought, ‘That’s great.’ It felt like fate, to be honest. It’s been such a lovely experience.” 

Training through the tough days 

Preparing for the Great North Run wasn’t always easy. As the distances increased, fitting training around Melissa’s busy schedule became increasingly demanding. Alongside working full-time for the NHS, she was studying for a qualification that also required full-time university attendance. 

Long days followed by runs of 13 or 15 kilometres tested her motivation, even when she knew how good she would feel afterwards. 

Melissa told us: 

“Once I’d finished a run, it felt amazing, and I felt like I was on top of the world. But it was finding the motivation to actually get out and train that was difficult.” 

Melissa spoke highly of the support from The Brain Charity, specifically Manuela from our fundraising team, who oversees our charity fundraising challenges. 

Melissa told us that Manuela helped her stay on track throughout her fundraising, kept an eye on her progress through Strava and occasionally checked in when training became difficult. Melissa would sometimes respond with a cheeky remark about her run, giving them both something to laugh about. 

“I felt supported the entire time, which really helped with the motivation. It was difficult, but it was 100% worth it. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.” 

Her boyfriend, Ben, was another important source of encouragement. 

Despite some uncertainty over his registration, he secured a place and ran the event alongside Melissa. He also raised money for the charity and supported her throughout training. 

Melissa told us: 

“He trained so hard, just as hard as me, if not more, because he was a lot of where my motivation came from during the training process. He got me through the run, hands down.” 

An unforgettable race day 

Having watched the Great North Run on television, Melissa thought she had some idea of what to expect. Nothing quite prepared her for the atmosphere on the day. 

Melissa told us: 

“Goosebumps is the first word that comes to mind. I had no idea how big it was going to be. I remember coming out of Newcastle University and rounding the corner into Exhibition Park, seeing crowds of people, costumes, and bright colours. Everybody had a smile on their face. 

“The early miles went well, and seeing friends along the route gave her a boost. But the course had its difficult moments, particularly after crossing the Tyne Bridge, when the hills and long stretches tested her determination.” 

The crowds helped her push through. Supporters offered sweets and high-fives, shouted runners’ names and encouraged people they had never met. When Melissa struggled towards the end, fellow runners also offered words of encouragement. 

Her family’s support made the finish even more special. She listened to motivational messages from friends and relatives throughout the race, including reminders of how proud her grandad would have been. Seeing her dad at the finish line, knowing the run was in memory of his own father, meant a great deal. 

Melissa told us: 

“I was so pleased my dad was there. He was telling us how proud he was. Everybody around me in that moment was so supportive, and I was just so pleased I did it.” 

When all was said and done, Melissa raised £1,240 for The Brain Charity; £240 more than her initial £1000 goal.

Looking ahead 

The experience has changed Melissa’s relationship with running. Having once struggled to find the motivation to train, she is now considering another event, perhaps the London Landmarks Half Marathon. A marathon, however, is off the table for now! 

She is currently concentrating on finishing her qualification, but she looks back on the Great North Run as an experience she would happily repeat. 

Melissa was also touched by the personal support she received from The Brain Charity, particularly an unexpected Christmas card from the team. 

Melissa told us: 

“When I opened it and realised it was from the charity, it meant an awful lot. It was my pleasure running for the charity. It was amazing; my experience the entire time was top-notch.” 

For Melissa, the Great North Run was a chance to honour someone who meant the world to her while helping a charity that supports people affected by neurological conditions. 

Inspired by Melissa? You can take on a challenge of your own and fundraise for The Brain Charity.

Whether it’s a run, a walk or something completely different, your efforts can help us support people affected by neurological conditions and their families.