A CHARITY comedy night for children with cancer is to go ahead for a second year, kickstarting a man's marathon fundraising.

At £15 a ticket, proceeds of the Hilarity Bites comedy night, at the Dolphin Centre, Darlington, will go to Children with Cancer UK. There will also be a raffle and additional activities on the night.

This is the event's second year, replacing black tie fundraisers years prior.

Organiser Paul Cook, who this year is running his eighth London Marathon for the charity, said: "There is so much negativity, I just want everyone to have a laugh. Matt Reed from Newcastle hosted last year and he was hilarious."

Mr Cook is also involved in the Darlington Harriers running club, which last year was recognised for voluntary work that benefits the community via The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.

While empowering the community in Darlington, much of Mr Cook's fundraising has been for Children with Cancer UK.

He added: "I entered the London Marathon ballot in 2012 and didn’t get in, but thought I'm going to do it anyway and for a charity.

"I have children of my own so I thought about something that would help kids, did some research and decided on this one.

"Since then, I have met people that work behind the scenes and the families affected.

"What they’ve been through just becomes apparent."

The dad-of-four met a family, through the charity, whose child spent 39 months in a "sort of bubble", and was restricted to just three visitors.

"When you meet families like that, you think there is no reason I can’t do more," he added.

Performing on the night will be Pete Otway, Sam Gore, Christian Reilly, and Gavin Webster.

Last year, the event raised over £5,000, a figure Mr cook hopes to surpass this time around.

Neil Jollie, director of Hilarity Bites, said: "This is the second year we have worked with Paul to support Children with Cancer UK. Last year was a great night and we raised loads of money. We’ve another great line-up this year. The acts are looking forward to coming to Darlington for a night of laughter to help raise even more funds for this great cause."

A Children with Cancer UK spokesperson said: “We are extremely grateful for the dedication of supporters like Paul Cook, who go above and beyond in their fundraising efforts for the charity.

"The money raised goes towards funding vital research to find cures and develop kinder, safer treatments for children with cancer. Paul’s fundraising could cover the cost of one key member of our Precision Medicine project, which uses a child’s DNA to match them to the very best treatment options, reducing the possibility of long-term, harmful side effects."