A FATHER twice struck by blood cancer has seen money-raising efforts pass an initial £30,000 target in just three years.

Paul McGeary, 35, of Newton Aycliffe, has spearheaded the campaign to support the Bloodwise charity ever since his initial diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukaemia in November, 2014.

Since then, friends, family and strangers have united to hit fundraising goals which has in recent weeks reached £31,192.

And now he has vowed to top a new target of £40,000 in the coming months.

The most recent contribution of £1,380 was raised this month at a quiz night hosted by the father-of-one's mother Mary Warke with help from other family and friends.

Mr McGeary, who returned to work as a maths teacher at Sedgefield Community College in September, said: “To exceed the £30,000 mark at this stage is phenomenal. We were getting close but if I’m honest, I thought a quiz night would have its limitations.

“I was beginning to think of the next event which would carry us through the barrier, but credit to mum and her friends, they quietly had a target in their heads and they went for it.

“The night was great fun. The room was full, with people travelling from all over to support. It was fantastic to see.

Mr McGeary launched his campaign, dubbed #NotOneInch, to raise cash for leukaemia and lymphoma charity, Bloodwise, following a diagnosis of the disease in 2014.

He fought it off but suffered a devastating relapse in 2016 and was told his condition was in complete remission once more in July, following a gruelling 11-month programme of chemotherapy.

The determined father to three-year-old Niamh has now set his sights on raising more cash for the charity.

“We won’t stop raising money and awareness for Bloodwise, and we now look at reaching the £40,000 mark," added Mr McGeary. "People come to me all the time with ideas – big and small – and we’ll give everything our full dedication and commitment.”

His colleague Darren Smith is currently half way through a running challenge which has seen more than £600 added to the pot to date, and several plans are in the pipe-line between now and the end of the year.