Category: Challenge Series

A group of work colleagues have raised a magnificent £20,000 for East Cheshire Hospice by tackling one of Britain’s toughest walking feats – the Three Peaks Challenge.

The group of 22 said they experienced nearly every emotion under the sun – from exhilaration to fear – as they embarked on the three tough mountain walks at Ben Nevis in Scotland; Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Mount Snowdon in Wales.

Organiser Natalie Hodgson, 27, said that although many of the group were experienced walkers, they still found the trek tough going.

“We were all in fine form as we started the first walk around midday in glorious sunshine of around 23 degrees at the foot of Ben Nevis,” says Natalie. “We certainly didn’t expect to be crawling over massive snow glaciers at the top of the mountain and we literally had to slide back down to the pathway.”

By teatime the group were ready to confront their second challenge, Scafell Pike, but conditions had deteriorated, and the four-hour hike took place in driving rain.

“That was our toughest climb,” says Natalie. “By the end we just all put our heads down and focussed on getting through the darkness and back to the minivans to head on to our next challenge.”

Five hours later the party arrived at the foot of Mount Snowdon only to be thwarted in their 24-hour challenge by traffic jams at a triathlon in Llanberis.

“But we overcame our exhaustion at this point and pushed hard to complete the challenge in just under 25 hours,” says Natalie.

Natalie was inspired to organise the challenge after her fiancé’s grandmother, Mary Bason from Siddington, was cared for at the Hospice two years ago.

“I will never forget the fabulous support the staff gave to both Mary and her family and whilst it’s never nice to be in these situations, everyone at the Hospice was amazing.”

Members of the group were welcomed back to the Hospice recently as a thank-you for all their support.

Corporate fundraiser, Kate Bowmar, is delighted with the walkers contributions especially as the challenge is so tough.

“The Hospice’s services are free and so we have to fundraise over £7,500 every single day of the year to make ends meet,” she says. “The walker’s efforts are amazing – well done to them all”.

The hikers fundraising sites are still open at https://www.justgiving.com/companyteams/19ThreePeaks

One of the country’s most popular races included runners who put their best foot forward to raise funds for the East Cheshire Hospice.

The sponsorship pennies are still rolling in, but East Cheshire Hospice runners are expected to raise around £4500 by taking part in this year’s Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run through the streets of central Manchester.

Runners included 16-year-old Joseph Sankey from Ullswater in Macclesfield who has raised well over £1000 on his own. Joseph wanted to support the hospice for taking care of his godfather, Neil Robinson, who passed away at the Hospice in March aged 53.

Joseph, who’s currently sitting his GCSE’s at All Hallows Catholic College, finished in just over 50 minutes, coming 117th in his age group from around 30,000 runners.

“I had much more energy than I thought I would have,” says Joseph. “The atmosphere was amazing – music everywhere and crowds chanting your name.”

Joseph trained for the run in between his exam revision and says that the running may even have helped with his studies.

“I got into a routine where I studied for a bit and then cleared my mind with a run, then back to studies again,” he said.

Joseph crossed the finish line almost four minutes ahead of his father, Ian, who he persuaded to do the run with him. Mum, Lynsey, was also there to cheer him on at the finish line alongside Neil’s wife, Sarah, and daughter Rebecca.

Also a few minutes behind was 38-year-old Saxon Whittle who was part of the six-strong team from McCann Complete Medical.

Completing in a time of 54’ 55, Saxon believes the crowds played a major part in helping him get to the finish line.

“I really wanted to challenge myself and get fit enough to run a 10K but I wasn’t sure I could do it,” he says. “But the crowds just spurred us all on.”

Also running from McCann Medical were Phillip Hall, Joe Shields, Marko Benes, Jack Adams and Brian Jepson.

“Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who pounded the streets to raise money for us,” says events assistant at the Hospice, Beth Candy, “All the services we provide at the Hospice are free, and to continue to do this we need to raise £345 per night per patient so every penny raised will go towards supporting our work.”

A Macclesfield man driven by both a professional and a personal cause, says he’s now got the “marathon bug” after completing his first 26-mile run in London.

Damian Lacey, 45, began running four years ago doing to “Coach to 5k” with Macclesfield Harriers and decided to tackle his first marathon to raise funds for the East Cheshire Hospice following the death of his mother-in-law, Linda Tute, last September.

“Linda was cared for by the Hospice @ Home team which is a truly wonderful service and had previously spent six weeks there as an in-patient in 2017 so I knew from personal experience the important work of the Hospice,” says Damian.

And Damian’s support for the Hospice also has a professional foundation as he encounters it regularly in his job as a specialist Macmillan nurse working in the Macclesfield area.

“I have seen the phenomenal palliative care they provide from both sides and really wanted to give something back,” says Damian, “although I knew a marathon was going to really stretch me.

But Damian, from Tytherington, knew he had made the right choice when he found out he had been successful in securing a place in the London Marathon on the day of Linda’s funeral.

“We were getting ready to leave when a letter dropped through the postbox telling me I had a place – I knew there was no backing out,” laughs Damian.

“I had a problem with my knee from mile 16 which really hampered me, and I had to stop at the medical bay and get some massage from one of the physios,” says Damian. “But I got back out. and I think Linda must have been watching me because I got to mile 24 and the pain disappeared and I was able to pick up my pace and make up a lot of time. “

Runner Damian Lacey has both professional and personal experience of the care offered by East Cheshire Hospice.

As a Macmillan nurse he is part of the support network which provides end-of-life palliative care for Hospice patients.

Damian’s mother-in-law Linda Tute was a recipient of that care before her death from oesophageal cancer last September, aged 75.

The family were so grateful for the way Linda was looked after that Damian is raising funds for the Hospice by competing in the London Marathon on Sunday, April 28.

It is Damian’s first marathon and when Sir Andy Murray fires the starting gun for the field of 42,000 it will complete a remarkable journey.

The Macclesfield Harrier said: “I only started running just over four years ago and it was a case of couch to 5k for me. Then I couldn’t run 10 feet never mind 10 miles.

“Linda used to joke about my figure and now she’s having the last laugh because I’m running the marathon.

“Perhaps it was fate that my application was accepted after missing out twice in the ballot, because the letter telling me I was successful arrived on the day of Linda’s funeral in October.”

Linda and husband Martin ran a grocery business in Bollington before retiring. Martin is a member of Macclesfield Male Voice Choir and a former Pott Shrigley Cricket Club player and both organisations have rallied round to support Damian, along with wife Sheona and sister-in-laws Kerry Tute and Meryl Goodwin.

Damian, from Tytherington, is part of the Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care team at Macclesfield Hospital.

He added: “We work in close collaboration with the Hospice even though we’re separate organisations. I know about the Hospice services professionally but when Linda was on the receiving end it gave me a different perspective.

“She was an inpatient and was also one of the first to access the Hospice@ Home service set up 18 months ago.”

* To sponsor Damian go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/damian-lacey