THE chairwoman of Fisherrow Waterfront Group is on track to raise more than £1,000 to help people suffering from inflammatory bowel disease after crossing the finishing line of the Great North Run.

Musselburgh resident Veronica Noone, 57, took part in the September 9 event along with her sister Trisha Francis, 56, from Manchester, in aid of the charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK after family members were diagnosed with the conditions.

They joined about 43,000 runners for the 13.1-mile half marathon which stretched from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to South Shields.

The siblings, who are originally from Tyneside, crossed the finishing line in two hours 30 minutes.

Sir Mo Farah sealed a record-breaking fifth victory by winning the elite men’s race in 59 minutes and 26 seconds.

Among the celebrities taking part were singer Olly Murs, news presenter Sophie Raworth and model Nell McAndrew.

Veronica, who has lived in Musselburgh for 25 years, and also serves as vice-chairwoman of Fisherrow Harbour and Seafront Association, said: “We got on great and have so far raised £1,100 but there is still more coming in.”

Veronica has also raised £270 by offering work colleagues at Scottish Enterprise the chance to repaint parts of a life-size cow model from Cow Parade Edinburgh in exchange for donations.

Its paint had been washed off following the event in 2006, but the now repainted brightly coloured cow stays on a balcony at Scottish Enterprise’s Edinburgh office.

A £150 contribution was given to Veronica’s cause from the staff charity fund.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease, affecting more than 300,000 people in the UK.

To donate, go to justgiving.com/fundraising/veronica-noone1