A FIFTEEN-strong team of work colleagues will tackle the Great North Run to raise funds for a charity that aims to provide clean water to everyone, everywhere.

The representatives of Northumbrian Water and its supply partners will take on the 13.1mile challenge on Sunday to support WaterAid, a global charity founded by water companies in 1981. They are among 100 runners taking part for WaterAid which aims to provide everyone in the world with clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene.

Funds raised by the Northumbrian Water runners will go towards WaterAid projects in Madagascar, where currently 12 million people do not have clean water, 22 million don't have a decent toilet and almost 4,000 children under 5 die a year from diarrhoea.

Northumbrian Water's Paul White, who has done two other runs this year for WaterAid, said: "The Great North Run is an iconic part of life in the North East, but those who run it, and even those who line the streets to support the participants, couldn′t do so without proper hydration and clean water."There are hundreds of millions of people in the world who don′t even have that clean water available to go about their everyday lives.

"Opportunities like this, to support and raise funds for WaterAid, are really important and it′s great that there are 100 people, including fifteen from Northumbrian Water and our partners, taking on the Great North Run for this fantastic cause."

For more on WaterAid visit wateraid.org/uk