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Round-the-world sailor Heather Broadbent is approaching South America after six weeks at sea.

The landscape gardener, from Disley, will arrive in the Uruguayan port of Punte del Este in the next few days.

She will then set sail for Cape Town in the third race of the Clipper 2019-20 Round the World Yacht Race.

Heather is aboard GoToBermuda which is among the chasing pack in the 11-strong fleet.

Heather is hoping to raise £40,000 for East Cheshire Hospice where her late husband Adam (45) was a patient.

The funds will go towards supporting the charity’s Hospice @ Home service. More than £23,000 has already been raised and to donate go to justgiving.com/fundraising/dreamitnowdoit.

Heather, whose voyage lasts 11 months, said: “Morale on board is good, everyone is still getting on well and into the swing of it nicely, though at times I’ve been feeling the emotion and enormity of the adventure.

“I’ve seen a wonderful pod of dolphins jumping and playing on our bow and we were bombarded by flying fish during a deck watch.”

The Clipper Race left London on Sept 1 with the second race across the Atlantic Ocean departing Portimão, Portugal, two weeks later.

Running like a rocket is the aim for one East Cheshire Hospice supporter embarking on his own amazing 3,2,1 challenge – three marathons, two half-marathons and a 10K during 2019.

Steve Nixon, 56, from Tytherington, has nicknamed his challenge “Stephen’s Rocket” as inspired by Stephenson’s Rocket – the locomotive designed by Robert Stephenson almost 190 years ago in October 1829.

As a railway lover, Steve is hoping the rocket theme will inspire him to do great times on his running challenge.

“My enjoyment of running started about six years ago when the Hospice gave me a place in the London Marathon and since then I just keep doing more and more,” says Steve. “This year I decided to up the ante a little and take on more than I’ve ever done.

“I’ve now done two marathons – in Manchester and Liverpool – and also the 10K Great Manchester run and next up is the Bollington 10k in August which runs along the old railway line.”

Then in the autumn Steve stays at home for the Macclesfield Half Marathon in September before heading to the North East, where appropriately George Stephenson, renowned as the “Father of the Railways”, and his son, Robert, were born.

The Great North Run half marathon in September – described as the world’s biggest run with 60,000 runners – will be followed by what Steve feels will be the hardest of all his planned events at the picturesque but hilly Kielder Marathon in October.

Careful observers will note that Steve is already in line to smash his planned 3,2,1 challenge as, if he completes all his races, he’s added an extra 10K on to his total.

“I didn’t think I was able to do the Manchester 10K but slotted it in and managed to achieve a personal best of 46’ 18”. And who knows, I may even add some more runs so it could become a 3,3,3”, says Steve.

Steve, an interim executive, travels throughout Europe with his job and finds he can fit in lots of running whilst staying away.

He says: “I’ve got plenty of time in the evenings when I’m away to train so it works well”.

And what does his wife, Beverley, and three children think of his running challenge? “They think I’m an idiot but know I love it,” he laughs.

To support Steve his fundraising site is https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/stevenixon2019

Art Fair Cheshire will celebrate its 20th year with a look back to some of the artists who were there at its “birth” in 1999.

Four artists – Louise Gardiner, Steven Bewsher, E.B. Watts and Iola Spafford – have been asked to return to the Fair to mark this special year and will feature alongside 76 other artists at the week-long exhibition at Macclesfield Town Hall (Thurs, Sept 26 – Thurs, Oct 3).

Art Fair Co-Chair, Steven Dalton, says the anniversary is a good opportunity to celebrate both the success of the biennial event and the artists who support it.

“Some of the artists who exhibited at our first Art Fair have gone on to achieve international success and we are very proud to have them with us again,” he says. “We are changing the look and feel of the event with new white gallery boards and different lighting.

“What has not changed is that each artist is donating a proportion of their sales to East Cheshire Hospice and visitors will still be able to buy anything from a greetings card to a large original work be it sculpture or painting during the event.

Art Fair Cheshire is now one of the regions leading arts events attracting hundreds of visitors to the town.

Highlights this year also include artist-led tours, evening gallery events, plus guest speakers and workshops. Information on all the exhibiting artists can be found on the Art Fair Cheshire website www.theartfair.org.uk.

Kyle and Angus are cycling 210 miles in 3 days inn support of East Cheshire Hospice

Leap29 have chosen East Cheshire Hospice as their Charity of the Year!

To help raise donations for the Hospice, Kyle and Angus of Leap29 recruitment, have joined forces to take on an epic 210-mile cycle challenge from London to Leap29 in just 3 days.

On Wednesday 28th August, Kyle and Angus will be kicking off their cycle challenge in London, traveling to all the major landmarks across London including Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, London Eye, Downing Street and Buckingham Palace. Then over the next 3 days they will be travelling through some of England’s major cities including Watford, Luton, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Leamington Spa, Coventry, Cannock, Stoke and then finishing at Leap29 office in Wilmslow, just outside of Manchester.

For updates on the London to Leap29 challenge please check out their just giving page at…
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/londontoleap29

Or follow them on…
www.instagram.com/leap29ltd/
www.facebook.com/leap29limited
www.twitter.com/Leap29Ltd

Health and social care professionals attended the latest East Cheshire Hospice workshop about palliative and end of life care.
The monthly lunchtime sessions bring together the clinical community to share knowledge and experience.
Hospice staff collaborate with partners such as East Cheshire NHS Trust and The Christie to deliver the workshops.
Sponsorship by Porthaven Care Homes, which runs Prestbury House, Macclesfield, and Astbury Mere, Congleton, helps cover on-going costs.

The Hospice uses a combination of in-house and external experts to deliver the training workshops which started a couple of years ago.
Alicia Whittaker, the Hospice’s Training and HR Advisor, said: “The workshops are designed for all health and social care professionals looking to broaden their palliative care knowledge.

“Staff attend from a variety of different organisations, including health care assistants and nurses, the NHS, care home workers, pharmacists, GP practice nurses and student nurses.”

Michelle Hinds, Client Services Manager at Astbury Mere, said: “We’re delighted to support East Cheshire Hospice which provides such a fantastic service for the local community. As a care home, we’re passionate  about providing the best care and are pleased to be part of this initiative.”

East Cheshire Hospice is supporting a campaign aimed at widening access to services nationally.

Open Up Hospice Care reaches out to community groups missing out on vital support, including those caring for loved ones at home.

A survey commissioned by charity Hospice UK as part of its campaign found that 72 per cent of adults believe support from a local hospice would make them feel more confident supporting a loved one with a terminal condition at home.

For its part, East Cheshire Hospice has been at the forefront of in-home care, launching its hugely successful Hospice @ Home service 18 months ago.

The ComRes survey also showed that half of UK adults (48%) are aware that hospices receive the majority of funding from fundraising and donations (e.g. via charity shops, communities, lotteries).

Almost a fifth incorrectly think that hospices receive the majority of their funding from the NHS.  East Cheshire Hospice receives under 17% of its funding from the NHS.

Amy Chatwood, Marketing Manager at the Hospice, said: “At the end of a person’s life, we only have one chance to get it right and that is why the hospice movement is there to provide expert, compassionate care.

“All the fundraising we do is to provide great care for our patients in the in-patient unit and across East Cheshire through our Hospice @Home service.  We’re sharing this sentiment across social media throughout the month and hope it inspires people to get involved with our fundraising efforts.”