Norwich used car retailer CarShop has teamed up with children's charity Dreamflight to help raise money to send seriously ill and disabled children on the holiday of a lifetime.

On Sunday, June 16 CarShop, which is at the junction of Boundary Road and Drayton Road, will host its first ever 5km charity run with the aim of sending at least one child from the region on a Dreamflight.

Established in 1987, Dreamflight has a long-standing heritage changing the lives of thousands of children, many of whom go on to become successful role models for others with similar conditions.

Each year the charity receives thousands of nominations from the doctors of deserving children. With the help of a team of medical professionals, 16 children from each of the 12 UK regions are selected to enjoy the holiday of a lifetime to Orlando in Florida.

Dreamflight believes that enjoyment and independence are as important as medicine when it comes to treating ill or disabled children. Through its work it allows 'children to be children' by providing a magical experience where a disability does not have to be a hindrance. Although hugely beneficial, each Dreamflight, consisting of 192 lucky children and all the necessary support staff, is extremely costly. And as Dreamflight relies solely on voluntary donations, any fund-raising activity is essential to the charity's continued good work and success.

Starting at 9am, the 5km run will kick off from CarShop Norwich and take a course through the area, before returning to finish back at CarShop.

The run is open to everyone, regardless of age and fitness. Those taking part can run, walk, hop, skip or even come in fancy dress because the main aim is to get people involved and raise awareness of the charity. As an added bonus, anyone who raises £50 in sponsorship – registration fee included – will be entered into a free prize draw to win a car. On the day, CarShop will also be organising a series of fun activities for runners and spectators to enjoy, including a prize raffle.

James Dunkley, CarShop marketing director, said: 'All too often we do our bit to support charities, yet very rarely do we get to see the impact of our support transpire within our local community.

'As a local employer we feel it's our duty to give back to the communities which allow us to operate and thrive, so it was important to us to form a relationship with a charity which shared our think big but act local values,' he explained.

'In Dreamflight we've found a partner which provides perfect synergy with our values and beliefs yet at the same time, through tremendous effort and work ethic, awes, inspires and humbles us. Because of this we're determined to make our charity run a success, but in order to do so we need the help and support of our local community.'

To register for the CarShop Norwich Change a Life Charity 5K Race, or just to make a donation, log on to www.carshop.co.uk/dreamflight. CarShop will be covering the cost of the day, so all money raised, including the £10 runner's registration fee, will go to the charity Dreamflight.