POTENTIAL participants in a pioneering new theme midsummer fundraising event are reminded they have just a month to hone their preparations.

St Cuthbert’s Hospice, Durham, has staged annual Midnight Walk events in June for the last eight years.

They have helped to raise a total of £480,000 towards running costs of St Cuthbert’s, which became the first adult hospice in the country to be given an “outstanding” rating by the Care Quality Commission earlier this year.

But this year’s mass participation event is to be a daytime sponsored 5k walk/run, followed by a colour festival, on Saturday June 6.

Entries remain open for the first Colourama, as the event has been dubbed, until the deadline of the close of office hours, on Friday May 30.

Apart from the 5k challenge on a course round the Aykley Heads estate, in Durham, it also features live music plus fun fair and stalls.

Everyone taking part is to be asked to don white St Cuthbert’s t-shirts, which will be given a dash of different colours passing each kilometre paint station.

Non-toxic, washable paint powder will be splashed across the runners, with the more paint stations passed, the more colourful the final look of the runners and walkers.

Entry fees are now £20 for adults and £15 to under-16s, although there is no charge to under-fives.

All under-16s must be accompanied by an adult.

The registration fee includes a white St Cuthbert’s t-shirt.

Entry forms are available from the hospice, at Park House, on Park House Road, Merryoaks, Durham, DH1 3QF.

Registration can also be made online, via the hospice website www.stcuthbertshospice.com, or by ringing 0191-386 1170, extension 5.