Act 19 of 30: Donald Takes on the Great North Run for Harry’s HAT 

Today, for Act 19 of our 30 for 30 campaign, we are cheering on someone with a very personal reason for taking on the Great North Run. 

Donald Mate, the brother of one of our colleagues, is taking on the famous half marathon today in support of Harry’s Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust, or Harry’s HAT. 

Donald’s son, Jude, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at just six months old. 

Hydrocephalus is a condition where fluid builds up around the brain, increasing pressure inside the skull. Treatment often involves surgery to insert a shunt, which helps drain that excess fluid. For children and their families, it can mean hospital appointments, operations and a great deal of uncertainty.  

Jude underwent brain surgery to have a shunt fitted and later needed another operation to remove a large arachnoid cyst. 

Throughout that journey, Harry’s HAT has been there for the family. 

The charity focuses entirely on paediatric hydrocephalus, helping families access trusted information, emotional and practical support, and connections with other parents who understand what they are going through. It also campaigns for earlier diagnosis, raises awareness and supports research and training for healthcare professionals.  

For Donald, taking on today’s Great North Run is a way of celebrating Jude’s strength and saying thank you to a charity that helped his family through an incredibly difficult period. 

And because Donald is the brother of one of our own colleagues, this one feels particularly close to home for Premier Community. 

Our 30 for 30 campaign is about supporting the communities and people around us, and sometimes those stories begin within our own Premier Community family. 

So today, while thousands of runners take to the streets of the North East, we’ll be keeping a particularly close eye out for one of them. 

If you’d like to help Donald raise even more for Harry’s HAT, you can support his fundraiser here: 

Support Donald’s Great North Run fundraiser 

You can also learn more about the work of Harry’s Hydrocephalus Awareness Trust on their website.  

Good luck, Donald. From all of us at Premier Community, we’ll be cheering you on every step of those 13.1 miles.