Last updated at 15:09, Monday, 15 March 2010

A 10-MILE run in memory of PC Bill Barker aims to raise £100,000 for his favourite charity.

• VIDEO: Meet the organiser and others involved

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The West Cumbrian Run, from Cockermouth to Workington, will take place on Sunday, July 18 and organisers hope more than 2,000 people will take part and raise cash for the Great North Air Ambulance.

It is being supported by the Times & Star and has the blessing of the Barker family.

PC Barker died when Workington’s Northside Bridge collapsed in the November floods.

His wife, Hazel, said: “Please accept our thanks to everyone involved in this amazing venture in memory of Bill.

“Words cannot express how much we appreciate your support but please know that we, as a family, feel humbled at this wonderful act of generosity.”

Organised by Big-Q Events Limited, race director Mike James said: “I came up with the idea to bring a road race to West Cumbria because we have not done something like this in West Cumbria before.

“We hope to raise £100,000 for the charity which was close to the heart of PC Barker and his family.

“We hope that this will become an annual event and we are delighted that Mrs Barker is right behind us.”

The run will route will follow the cycle path from Cockermouth town centre and it will either finish either at the Barker Crossing footbridge or the new temporary road bridge.

Cumbria police’s West Cumbrian chief superintendent Steve Johnson was the first person to sign up to take part in the race.

He said: “I’m taking part the race because it is in memory of Bill. I have many fond memories of him and many of the officers and staff have fond memories of him. He was such a kind person.

“We wanted to do anything we could to raise money for the charity that he supported as it is a really worthwhile cause.

“At the moment we are trying to encourage all 43 forces around the county to get a representative to run and support the race. If we could achieve that it would just be fantasti.”

Jan Hawkins, chairman of Pride of Cumbria for The Great North Air Ambulance, said: “I think it is fantastic that this event is going aheadafter the circumstances that Bill’s family and the rest of West Cumbria has gone through.

“It is nice to have the Barker family’s support and Bill’s wife is right at the back of it.”

Mrs Barker added: “On Friday, November 20 2009 our whole world fell apart never to be the same again when Bill, my darling husband, the devoted father to our children, my best friend and my forever friend, was so suddenly and tragically taken away from us forever.“I am extremely honoured and privileged to have shared in the life of such a brave, dedicated, caring and wonderful man who, over and over again, made us so very, very proud.

Mrs Barker said that in his role as a traffic officer, Bill often had to call on the Great North Air Ambulance Pride of Cumbria, a charity he was extremely passionate about, when attending accidents on the Cumbrian roads.

“In many cases its role meant the difference between life or death, ” she added. It was for this reason and the fact that it was not government funded, not even in part, that Bill, at every opportunity in his determination to make a difference, supported, in whatever way possible, what he made his charity.

“Therefore, please know, there could be no better tribute to Bill than that of supporting these truly amazing people, without whom, because of our geographical location, among other things, many more lives would be lost.”

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First published at 19:27, Thursday, 11 March 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk