Care home worker's marathon effort for charity

STAFF and residents at Sutton Grange in Banks are celebrating because a superstar member of their team has conquered the gruelling Great North Run raising a whopping £1550 for Barchester's Charitable Foundation. The Foundation supports older people and other adults living with a disability or mental health problems by helping them to connect or re-connect with others in their local communities.

On Sunday, 8 September 2024, Divisional Sales & Marketing Manager, Amy Melia, laced up her trainers and used sheer grit and determination to complete the 13.1 mile half marathon course. The iconic race starts in Newcastle upon Tyne and takes thousands of runners over the iconic Tyne Bridge finishing up in South Shields. Amy was running in order to raise funds for Barchester's Charitable Foundation which helps vulnerable people combat loneliness and isolation.

Amy has worked for Barchester Healthcare for over 5 years and absolutely loves her job. No stranger to a fundraising challenge, when she knew she had secured a place in the Great North Run, things got serious! Amy immediately embarked on a strict 20 week training regime with a personal trainer. She has been weight lifting, hill running and interval training, all to ensure she made it over the finish line and raised as much money as she possibly could and Amy has absolutely smashed her target. Everyone at the home is delighted for her.

Amy comments:- "This was my 1st time doing the Great North Run and I absolutely loved it, despite the wind and the rain on the day! The atmosphere was fantastic and I am incredibly proud to have been 1 of the 60,000 runners who took part, I'm looking forward to my next challenge for the Foundation now, I have really got the bug! My mum met me with a celebratory can of Holsten Pils which is a family thing, we lost my Dad 3years ago and no matter where we were going, my Dad always had a Holsten Pils. He was with me throughout the race, helping me through, so that can was for Dad."

You can still support Amy, please visit:- AjbellGreatNorthRun2024.Enthuse.Com where all donations will be gratefully received.

Residents in Lancashire & Merseyside are urged to get their aprons on and fundraise for Marie Curie this autumnn 

THE UK's leading end of life charity Marie Curie is calling on all budding bakers in Lancashire and Merseyside to help them raise some much kneaded dough by signing up to its autumn baking fundraiser.

Whether you're a cupcake king, a queen of tarts or more of a baking late bloomer, Marie Curie has got choux covered with everything you need to host your own bake-off challenge, cupcake decorating competition, cake sale or pie-eating contest.

When signing up, Marie Curie will send all budding bakers a special recipe pack with autumnal bakes from:- Melissa Hemsley, the Hairy Bikers and Fay Ripley, to help inspire people in Lancashire and Merseyside to get creative in the kitchen. Bakers will also get everything they need to help make their fundraiser a success; from posters and social media graphics to invitations and fundraising in memory cards.

Actor, author and presenter, Fay Ripley, who is supporting the campaign by sharing her own banana and chocolate loaf recipe, said:- "I find myself yelling:- 'use your loaf!' at everyone and anyone so now I've used my loaf; my banana and chocolate loaf in fact!; to support Marie Curie with their important work, delivering expert care at the end of life. I promise I won't yell at you, but I hope everyone gets baking with me!"

Gina Hopwood, Marie Curie Community Fundraiser for Lancashire, said:- "Whether you're crazy about chocolate cake or partial to pumpkin pie, this autumn Marie Curie is making raising funds for expert end of life care a piece of cake. As the nights draw in, baking and sharing sweet treats can be fun (and tasty!) way to help Marie Curie continue to provide expert care and support at the end of life, free from unnecessary pain, so people can have the dignity and respect they deserve, whatever their illness. It's up to you how you fundraise; you could ask friends, family or work colleagues to bake up a storm with you or you could go it alone and enjoy arranging your own bake sale. However you choose to fundraise, we'll support you throughout; and you will be helping ensure that Marie Curie is there for more people, and their loved ones, when they need it most."

Marie Curie is dependent on fundraising and public donations. In Lancashire Marie Curie Nurses and healthcare professionals provide expert Hospice Care to people in their own home.

As well as providing Hospice Care and Hospice at Home Care across the UK, Marie Curie also has a free Information and Support line which is available to anyone with an illness they're likely to die from and those close to them. It offers practical and emotional support on everything from symptom management and day to day care to financial information and bereavement support.

To find out more and sign up for Marie Curie's autumn baking challenge, visit:- MarieCurie.Org.UK.