Year of challenges ends with over £3,000 being raised for hospital charity

From swimming two miles and cycling 100, to climbing Ben Nevis and completing thousands of “push ups”, it’s been a year of monthly challenges for Josh Wright.

For during 2022 he has carried out an epic series of strength and energy sapping events once a month which culminated in him raising £3,161 for the My WiSH Charity.

The money has gone to buy an Accuvein for the Community Children’s Nursing team based at the Child Development Centre, at the West Suffolk Hospital. 

It uses a near-infrared (NIR) to help clinicians see superficial veins making blood taking and cannulation so much easier. This is especially useful for young patients and children with complex care needs who are seen by the community team.

Josh, who lives on Marham Park, in Bury St Edmunds, started the year off with two half marathons on consecutive days around his home town with his father Leslie, who is in his 50s, and ended the year completing two marathons, also on consecutive days, again with his father, in December.

In between he devised challenges for every month with many of them taking place with family, friends and colleagues who he praised for their support and contribution to the fundraising.

It included more runs, cycling and a leg wax. 

The 28-year-old, who is a health and safety consultant with HS Direct, which is based on the Moreton Hall Industrial Estate, said he had many “highlights” and “lowlights” during the year.

“I thought of all the things that people do to raise money for charity and I thought that wouldn’t it be fun if I did it in a year. I’m not athletic or physically strong but I enjoyed raising money,” he said.

He was disappointed not to reach the summit of Ben Nevis in August when bad weather preventing him just getting to the top, but he was delighted with his swim the following month, which he said he was “scared” at undertaking as he only took up the sport early last year, along with the back to back marathons in December.

He added: “It does make a difference when you know that the money is going just up the road and might help someone locally at some point. I just want to say thank you to everyone who supported me who are too numerous to mention from family, friends and people who I work with.”

Sally Daniels, fundraising manager for My WiSH, thanked Josh for his incredible fundraising and said: “It’s been a pleasure to work with Josh over the past 12 months. Not only has he had to complete that month’s challenge, he has had to train for the others too which is a huge feat especially when working full time.”

Sally added: “As a charity we don’t just support the West Suffolk Hospital but the whole community. The Accuvein Josh has bought will benefit young patients right across Suffolk and it was a great to be able to introduce him to the staff who could tell him just what a difference his fundraising has made”. 

JOSH WRIGHT’S YEARLY CHALLENGE

January: Two half marathons with his father Leslie in one weekend round Bury St Edmunds.

February: Running the equivalent distance between the HS Direct office in Bury St Edmunds to the Sheffield office with colleague Andrew Langdon.

March: 24-hour game marathon with work colleagues Luke Thomas and Rob Mcleay.

April: 100-mile cycle ride on gym bike at Sports Direct, on the Moreton Hall Industrial Estate, which took four hours and 41 minutes.

May: Nuclear race with Hannah Goldhawk at adventure challenge site in Brentwood.

June: 100km relay race involving run round outskirts of Bury St Edmunds with Matt Sharpe cycling.

July: Leg wax with his father Leslie and brothers Ben and Adam.

August: Climbing Ben Nevis between five and six hours with bad weather stopping him 30 minutes to the summit.

September: Two-mile swim at Sports Direct taking about two hours.

October: Ultra marathon, 50kms (31 miles) on outskirts of Bury St Edmunds with his father.

November: 3,000 push ups at home and in the gym with 300 being completed on one day.

December: Double marathon weekend with his father, Les, in and around Bury St Edmunds.