Gearing up for the Vitality Big Half in aid of hospital funds

Individuals and teams working at the West Suffolk Hospital and the Newmarket Hospital are making final preparations and going through last minute training routines ahead of taking party in the Vitality Big Half.

They are all bidding to raise money for the My WiSH Charity which supports the work of the two hospitals.

And they are hoping to complete the half marathon course in London, which takes place this coming Sunday, August 22, starting by Tower Bridge and finishing in Greenwich, passing through the four London boroughs of Southwark, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich.

Staff are running the 13 miles for the stroke unit, community cardiac rehab, the Butterfly Fund for palliative care, the Macmillan unit, colorectal surgery, Newmarket Community Hospital and the Forget-Me-Not Dementia appeal.

Kim Gaze, (pictured above with Helen Ballam) who works in the catering department, at Newmarket Community Hospital, is hoping to raise the money to help patients eat together rather than from their bed spaces. To support them go to www.justgiving.com/Kim-Gaze1

The cardiac rehab team comprising of Jodie Bosomworth, Simone Meldrum and Matt Lavers (pictured above) is running the event in the hope of raising money to purchase home monitoring equipment and devices to loan to patients in a bid to enable them to safely continue their recovery post cardiac event at home.

Simone said: “Like all NHS services we have had to adapt our service to meet the needs of our patients during these unprecedented times.  Ensuring cardiac rehab is accessible is key.”

To support them go to www.justgiving.com/west-suffolk-community-cardiac-rehab-team

The stroke ward team of seven includes three staff nurses, three ward sisters and the ward manager.

They are Maria Musgrove, Hannah Marshall, Mylene Pagaduan, Becky Trede, Yasmin Echenique, Marthe Peralta and Rachel Herod and are running to raise money for the stroke unit.

Maria said: “We are so proud to be part of our patients journey every step of the way and if we can give just a small amount of the determination and dedication that our patients give in their journey after a stroke then we will be doing them proud.”

To support them go to www.justgiving.com/strokeunitwsh and the websites of the others taking part can be found at www.justgiving.com/abbey-becks and www.justgiving.com/guytodd

Sally Daniels, the fundraising manager, for My WiSH said: “We all know how amazing the staff are at the West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and, as they care for us all, it’s easy to forget that sometimes they are patients too or have loved ones receiving care.

“This means that, not only are they passionate about their own patients, but they often have an area of the Trust that is special to them.

“We asked if anyone wanted to run the Vitality Big Half for My WiSH Charity and were amazed at the response.  On behalf of the charity, can I wish them all good luck this Sunday as they take on the Big Half. We are sure they will all smash it.”