Up to 100 farmers and their tractors will be gathering in a Lancashire village next week for a sponsored event to raise money for a charity.  

The Cockerham Tractor Run will take place on Tuesday, December 27 to help raise money for Kidney Research UK.

The 15-mile run will start at the Farmyard Brew company in Cockerham at 11am.

Peter Hewitt, a 42-year-old farmer from Cockerham, went through a transplant operation in 2007 after secretly having tests to see if he could be a match for his sibling. His brother, Mark, had been diagnosed with Alport syndrome, a genetic kidney disease, when he was just five, but it would only start to affect him when he was a teenager.

Seeing his brother become poorly as the disease progressed drove Peter to see if he could be a potential donor after his mother was ruled out and the siblings were found to be a complete match.

Peter said: “There was never a doubt in my mind when I went for those tests. Mark was just so incredibly ill, and I felt like I had to do something.

“It was all very emotional when I told him, I didn’t want to give him false hope, so I had to do it in secret but the surprise from him and those around us was something I will always remember. We are one big close-knit family, Mark, his wife Sandra and the kids all work on the farm with us, so we are never far away from each other.

“Now that myself and Mark share an organ, we are bound by a lot more than just being siblings.”

As well as the tractor run fundraising, Peter is also set to take on the 2023 London Marathon with the aim of raising a further £10,000 for kidney research.

Both are the latest in a series of fundraising activities that has also included auctioning off a calf for £1,600 – something that would typically sell for £300.

Peter added: “I haven’t run in nearly 30 years, so it was a bit of a shock to be told that I had a place confirmed for the marathon. I started running twice a week, then I got to three and I slowly built up my stamina.

“The moment the community found out that I was fundraising for Mark and Kidney Research UK, everyone rallied around us and wanted to help in any way they could. I can’t believe nearly 100 farmers will take part in the tractor run, and the local vet has even sponsored a hog roast for everyone attending.

“It is a bit overwhelming to see the support that everyone has given us, and the money raised will be so vital to help people like Mark live a better life.  I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me.”

Entry into the tractor run next week costs £15 which includes a hog roast and access to a fully stocked bar.