Land Rover Staff Go Off Road for Birmingham Hospice
February 28, 2011
A group of intrepid Land Rover employees gave new meaning to the term ‘off-road’ when they took on a tough 4x4 course in aid of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice.
The staff, from Land Rover’s Solihull plant, swapped four wheels for two feet when they took part in the Mud Run challenge around the company’s legendary six-mile off-road course at Eastnor Castle in memory of a colleague’s husband.
Between them the three runners - Adam Johnson, Eddy Ingram and Julie Wood - raised £905 for the Selly Park-based hospice, which cares for families coping with life-limiting illness across Birmingham and Sandwell.
The trio were running in remembrance of colleague Sharon Bryant’s partner Gary, who was cared for by the hospice last year.
Adam, who works as an electrician, said the event had been an incredible challenge: “Running through all the mud was seriously energy-sapping but fantastic fun at the same time. We all completed the course in 1hr 25mins.
“But the effort was well worth it. The nurses at Birmingham St Mary’s were amazing when they cared for someone very close to us, and we’re delighted to be able to help fund that kind of care for someone else who might need it in the future.”
Hospice Head of Fundraising and Marketing Caroline Taylor said the team was making a great contribution to Birmingham St Mary’s.
“We’re finding people are doing a wider a variety of weird and wonderful things to raise money for the hospice and the Mud Run is one of them. I really admire their ingenuity. The money raised will make a big difference to people with life-limiting illnesses across Birmingham and Sandwell and their families, and I would like to thank the team very much for their efforts,” she said.
Since its launch in 1979, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice has cared for tens of thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer, motor neurone disease and MS.
With around 52 percent of the hospice’s budget reliant on public goodwill, community fundraising is crucial to ensuring its highly specialised services can continue to be offered to the people of Birmingham and Sandwell.
In addition to a 25-bed inpatient unit, Birmingham St Mary’s boasts a 20-place day hospice and provides community care to people who wish to stay in their own homes.
The hospice also supports relatives with bereavement preparation, physiotherapy tuition and counselling in addition to many other services.
Annual running costs stand at £6.3 million, with around £1 million being raised in the hospice’s shops and £2.7 million via fundraising. The remainder comes from the NHS.
Birmingham St Mary’s nurses, often referred to by patients and relatives as ‘angels’, are renowned for going that extra mile to ensure people with terminal illnesses enjoy the best possible quality of life.
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