THIS weekend sees the third annual Canaries Worldwide Weekend at Carrow Road.

The planned activities surrounding City's home match with Plymouth Argyle will give an opportunity to profile many of the long distance supporter groups and exiled fans who travel up and down the country and in some cases across the world to support the Canaries.

Some such Norwich fans were at Colney today in preparation for the weekend and to receive a signed shirt from City boss Bryan Gunn to highlight their charity fund-raising campaign.

Members of the Northern Canaries will be biking from Barcelona to Liverpool to raise money for The Marina Dalglish Appeal, which was set up after Marina, Kenny Dalglish's wife, was diagnosed with the illness in 2003. With items donated towards the fundraiser including various signed shirts and goalkeeping gloves from Edwin van der Sar, the group hopes to raise around £25,000.

Mark Whitwood, Norwich fan and Director of Active Soccer in Liverpool, came up with idea: "We're doing this to raise money for Kenny Dalglish's wife's charity which is based in Liverpool. There are ten of us doing the bike ride, my fiance's dad died of cancer three years ago so we said we'd do an event to raise money for a cancer charity. I spoke to all my mates and they said they'd help out.

"We go to Barcelona on April 22, and we're watching a game at the Nou Camp and getting a signed shirt from there, and then we're setting off from there. We'll eventually make our way back through France, coming across on the ferry to Portsmouth where Peter Crouch will meet us from the boat and giving us a signed Portsmouth shirt. We'll then go on to Birmingham where we'll stop at Aston Villa, then on to Stoke, Manchester United, Manchester City and Everton.

"Eventually we'll get to Liverpool on May 2. There are four of us who are Norwich fans, and my dad and another guy who is a City supporter are driving the support vehicle. We've been preparing for this since last August and sorting out things like sponsorship - we've managed to get discounted bikes and had our cycling-wear sponsored and we've been given cheaper ferry crossings from Brittany Ferries.

"It's been fantastic to see all the support from the professionals at the clubs we've been getting, like the gloves we've got from van der Sar, Robbie Savage is helping us out too - and coming down to Norwich now, everyone's been great here too."

Mark's father and fellow Northern Canaries member, Jon Whitwood commented: "I'm very proud, for them to do 100 miles a day for ten consecutive days it's a big effort to raise money for a really good cause.

"It's something very close to Mark's heart because he's getting married this year and his fiance's father died of cancer and that's a major factor in why Mark and the team are doing this.

Jon is also in Norwich for the Canaries Worldwide Weekend, he added: "We've got some events happening this weekend, we've got a half-time pitch parade tomorrow and then a social event tomorrow evening in the Norfolk Lounge where Delia and Michael, Bryan Gunn and some of the players will be coming along."

The weekend kicks off with a quiz night at 'The Murderers' in the city centre this evening with several exiled supporter groups bringing teams to the event organised by Forces2Canaries - members of which are Canary fans, who are serving or have served in Her Majesty's Armed Forces. Tomorrow, many of the groups will be sitting together in the Jarrold Stand and at half-time representatives from the various groups will join in a parade around the pitch with their flags and banners.

The social event will take place in the Norfolk Lounge at Carrow Road from 6.30pm when groups and individual fans can get together for a drink, food and live music. Tickets to this evening are available free of charge from Delia's Canary Catering in advance by calling 01603 218704 or are purchasable on the door priced at £2 each.

On the Sunday morning a six-a-side competition will take place at the Academy Arena at Colney to win the Canaries Worldwide Cup, with former player and current Community Ambassador Jeremy Goss managing the teams and prizes will be awarded to participants at the end of the event.

For more information on supporter and exiled groups click here or contact Gemma Gifford at Norwich City Football Club (gemma.gifford@ncfc-canaries.co.uk).