Staff at Arighi Bianchi are aiming to raise £10,000 as a thank you to East Cheshire Hospice for caring for lost loved ones.
Some 30 employees of the family-owned furniture business will take part in the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run on Sunday, May 21.
Among those running is accessory manager Cath Barlow, who met her late husband John working at Arighi Bianchi.
From left, Hospice fundraiser Bethan Wade, Arighi Bianchi’s Lucy Mather, Nick Bianchi and Cath Barlow and Hospice fundraiser Lisa Ball.
John, a van driver, died of bowel cancer a year ago and spent six weeks as a patient at the Hospice.
He was also landlord of the Ye Olde Kings Head, in the hamlet of Gurnett. One of the ales, Gurnett’s Glory, is named in his honour.
John completed the 10k in 70 minutes in 2015 and Cath’s goal is to match his time.
She said: “The Hospice were amazing looking after John and I can’t thank them enough.”
Cath is also remembering close friend Nicky Bradley, who died in 2021 and was also at the Hospice.
Accessory manager Cath Barlow who is taking part in the Great Manchester Run in memory of her husband John.
Like Cath, Nicky was a long-serving employee at Arighi Bianchi, formerly managing the bed linen department.
Meanwhile, director Nick Bianchi will honour the memory of his uncle Tony, who was joint managing director of the landmark store for many years.
Tony died in 2017, aged 83, and was treated at the Hospice.
His grandad Antonio Bianchi, and his brother-in-law Antonio Arighi – both Italian immigrants – started the shop 169 years ago.
Arighi Bianchi will sponsor a Hospice stall in the charity village at the 10k run, with its team wearing yellow Hospice t-shirts.
Nick said: “We’ve been proud to support the Hospice since it opened its doors in 1988 and are delighted that it’s our official charity for the Run.
“The event is a wonderful way to foster a real sense of teamwork within our staff. We’ve got runners from various departments, from the cafe bar to the curtains, carpets, deliveries, marketing, sales consultants and administration.
“Arighi Bianchi and East Cheshire Hospice are two Macclesfield institutions. We’ve been here since 1854 and the Hospice has cared for family members and staff, including my uncle Tony. It’s also cared for our customers, so the Hospice is really personal to so many people.”
* To sponsor the Arighi Bianchi team visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/arighi-bianchi
To enter the Run to raise funds for the Hospice visit www.greatrun.org/events/great-manchester-run/
Back to all newsThank you so much for choosing to support East Cheshire Hospice. You may never know how much your gift means, but we know that it will make the world of difference to our patients and their families.
