A North Tyne accountancy firm has organised a walk to raise money to highlight the impact Coronavirus has had on mental health.

TyneRede Accountancy, which is based in Bellingham, will take to the road for 24 hours on June 11 to raise money for mental health charity MIND.

Sarah Little, one of the accountants at the firm who is organising the walk with practice administrator Emma Watson, said: “It was managing director Chris Gillie’s idea and it is really just to highlight the impact that coronavirus has had on mental health.

“It’s also to celebrate the community and how our community has helped everyone to get through the pandemic.”

The nine-strong team will be doing stints for the entire 24 hours from Friday June 11 to walk from the company’s base at Lloyds Bank House in the centre of Bellingham village to Hesleyside Hall along the banks of the River North Tyne.

Sarah continued: “We chose this route as it’s one that locals would have chosen in lockdown for their one hour of daily exercise.

“We hope there’ll always be five or six from our team out on the walk, and we’re also inviting local businesses, schools, and everyone from the community to join us.”

The firm are hoping that they will be joined by local schoolchildren and their parents on one of the stages of the walk – who will have done some fundraising in their schools.

Sarah said: “We’re inviting as many kids as possible and are hoping that will be the highlight.

“We’re just really excited and we hope that it’s going to bring a lot of people in the community together. I’m going to have to train before June!”

The walk is due to begin on Friday June 11 at 4pm and will finish the following day.

Donations can be made through Just Giving at https://www.justgiving.com/team/teamtynerede