Glow will light the nights for campaign

Niamh Yates and her mum Julie back in 2012. Julie is delighted with the response from the North East to the Glow Gold campaign. Various landmarks and buildings across the region will be lit up during September, including Alnwick Castle and the towns Bondgate Tower.

A group of North East parents of children with cancer have teamed up with others from around the UK to try to make a difference and change the face of childhood cancer.

Without improved awareness and increased publicity, little will change in terms of early diagnosis, research, treatment or prognosis for youngsters.

Glow Gold September is a childhood cancer awareness campaign to get iconic buildings to illuminate in gold during September.

As part of this, Alnwick Castle and the town’s Bondgate Tower will be illuminated from dusk until dawn, starting from today. There is also the chance that the Town Hall clock in Alnwick Market Place will be aglow.

The Royal Border Bridge at Berwick, The Tyne Bridge and Gateshead Millennium Bridge are some of the other landmarks which will be lit in the North East.

Julie Yates, formerly of Alnwick, whose 16-year-old daughter is currently in remission from bone cancer after fighting it aged 12, is delighted with the response across the region. She said: “We want to improve the profile of childhood cancer in line with that of the more well-known adult cancers.

“The North East has embraced the campaign and we will have almost 200 landmarks and buildings glowing gold. Glow Gold September has been thrilled with the response and support from Alnwick.”

The Alnwick Christmas Lights Committee has placed the charity’s gold ribbon bow on the Bondgate Tower and chairman Gordon Castle said the group is delighted to support the campaign. Meanwhile, the Duchess of Northumberland said: “Alnwick Castle will be glowing gold, as ever, throughout September in support of all children who are fighting cancer, to celebrate all survivors and to remember those lost.”