Corrie’s Vera opens her pub for charity runners

UK (SANEPR.com) May 14, 2009 -- The actress best known for her role as Vera Duckworth in Coronation Street – has come to the aid of a children’s charity.

Liz Dawn MBE and her business partner Angela Creely have opened the doors of their pub to give runners and supporters of Round Table Children’s Wish somewhere to recover after the BUPA Great Manchester Run, which takes place on Sunday May 17.

Liz said: “Traditionally we never open on a Sunday but when we heard from Round Table Children’s Wish we were delighted to help.”

The Old Grapes Pub in Manchester is festooned with Coronation Street photos and press cuttings. Liz left the soap in January last year.

Round Table Children’s Wish grants wishes for children aged three to 17 with life-threatening illnesses. It has 40 runners taking part in the 10km race and hopes to raise around £10,000.

Julie Atherton, fundraising coordinator at the national charity, said: “Manchester gets so busy on the day of the run and it can be difficult to find one place which can accommodate all our runners so this will make a huge difference to team morale. It will be somewhere to meet, recover and share stories after the run.”

The charity has four children in Manchester hoping for wishes and many more throughout the UK.

Recent wishes granted by the charity include a meeting with Simon Cowell, trips to Disneyland Paris, a dolphin swim, a holiday to meet Santa in Lapland, the gift of a laptop and a visit from a much-loved friend flown in from Australia.