Man in his 70s taking on charity half marathon for second time
Eric Watts, a 76 year old from Brentwood, will run his second Southend Half Marathon for an appeal which supports developments in local radiotherapy treatments.
Eric, a Governor for Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, will be putting on his running shoes for the second year in a row on 9 June to participate in the annual running event.
Speaking about the challenge, Eric said: “Having gone through radiotherapy myself when I was younger, I know how this new technology will really revolutionise treatment for cancer and improve patient experience. This thought spurs me on to take up another half marathon. I did say it might be my last, but it’s all for charity, so it’s worth it.”
His chosen charity is the Spotlight Radiotherapy Appeal, which is raising funds to purchase state-of-the-art Surface Guided Radiation Therapy (SGRT) equipment for Southend Hospital.
This equipment improves accuracy of treatment, saves time, and eliminates the need for alternative equipment which can increase patient anxiety.
Emma Wynne-Morgan, Chair of Southend Hospital Charitable Foundation said: “Eric’s dedicated support of the Spotlight Radiotherapy Appeal continues to amaze us. His commitment has seen him host the highly successful Dr Feelgood concert and two jazz nights; we cannot thank him enough for everything he does to raise funds and awareness for this cause which will benefit thousands of patients across mid and south Essex.”
Eric is hoping for sponsorship donations on his JustGiving webpage to help the appeal reach its target of £600,000. His page can be found by searching ‘Eric’s Spotlight Page’ on www.justgiving.com.