We're delighted to announce that Barnsley Hospice have agreed to be the official charitable partner of the Barnsley 10k.

The race will take place on Sunday 30 June in the town centre, with entries opening this Friday, 23 February, at 5pm.

To mark this partnership, we have donated the first 50 places in the race to the hospice for any runners who wish to fundraise for them, with a minimum sponsorship target of £100 per entrant.

The hospice is a charity which provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to local people living with a life-limiting illness and those close to them.

Based in Gawber, they support people from the point of diagnosis and throughout their palliative care journey, including care and support for people at the end of their life.

A wide range of services are available to local people free of charge, helping people to live well, manage their symptoms and access expert support from their multidisciplinary team.

As a charity, the hospice could not do this without the support of its local community.

Councillor James Higginbottom, Cabinet spokesperson for Environment and Highways, said: "It's fantastic to have Barnsley Hospice on board as our official charitable partner for the Barnsley 10k.

"They have supported so many of our residents since opening their doors for the first time in 1994, but they still need to fundraise £3.5m each year to provide their vital services for the people of Barnsley.

“I’m hoping to see as many runners as possible donning the hospice orange for the race and supporting this fantastic charity.”

Stephen Hall, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development at Barnsley Hospice, said: “It’s a real privilege to be chosen as the official charitable partner of the very first Barnsley 10k, and it’s a fantastic way to celebrate our 30th anniversary year.

“The hospice was founded by a group of local volunteers and would not be here today without the continued support of our community undertaking fundraisers like the Barnsley 10k.

“Our thanks go to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council for choosing the hospice as the event’s charitable partner. We wish everyone taking part a huge good luck and will be there cheering you on!”

The Mayor of Barnsley, Councillor James Michael Stowe, added: "I'm delighted to see Barnsley Hospice, one of my chosen charities, announced as the charitable partner of the Barnsley 10k, the work they do is amazing.

"The Barnsley community have been supporting the hospice for over 30 years, and every penny raised will go towards helping them to take care of local people."

For more information about the Barnsley 10k, go to barnsley.gov.uk/barnsley10k.