Barnsley runners turn miles into money for hospice
7 February 2019
Runners from Barnsley Harriers have been turning miles into money to raise over £2,000 for Barnsley Hospice.
The funds were generated through the running club’s four Silkstone Shuffle trail races in 2018, with profit from entry fees and income from bake sales at the events going towards the total. A sponsored ‘beer mile’, which saw fundraisers drink a beer after every lap, brought in even more.
Barnsley Harriers club members chose the hospice as their nominated charity for 2018. Chair Ian Meade, 69, of Church Street in Darton said: “My mum Vera Meade was cared for at the hospice in 2016 and had such fantastic care while she was there, so I was delighted the hospice was chosen when we decided which charity to support through the races. The enthusiasm and effort that members put into the fundraising last year was just brilliant, and it’s something we see time and again at the club.”
The total of £2,386 has been put towards a major refurbishment of the hospice’s in-patient unit. Work is currently taking place to transform the ten bedrooms, en-suites, and main bathroom. A designated overnight stay facility will be available for family members to use as and when needed.
“Although the care that my mum received was fantastic, I did think the rooms looked a bit dated and tired,” said Ian, who visited the hospice with club members to present the cheque. “This was a good opportunity to put some money towards the campaign to freshen them up. I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help.”
Work to transform patient bedrooms began in October and will be fully completed by the spring, with work taking place over four phases to allow in-patient unit services to continue.
Janet O’Hara, grants, trusts and legacies fundraiser at Barnsley Hospice, added: “We’re really grateful to the Barnsley Harriers for their dedication to raising money throughout last year and we’re looking forward to welcoming them back to see the finished rooms.”
Now in its 25th year, Barnsley Hospice provides specialist care for anyone in the borough with a life-limiting progressive illness, including cancer, motor neurone disease and heart disease.
As a charity it must raise £2.2m each year, in addition to a £1.6m grant from the NHS CCG.
Notes to editors
Photograph shows R-L: Amie Ledger, Richard Spooner, Ian Meade, Rachel Nothard and Janine Brown, all of the Barnsley Harriers running club.
About the in-patient unit refurbishment
The refurbishment, which will cost around £500,000, will see all ten inpatient bedrooms upgraded to a luxury standard, helping patients and those close to them feel comfortable and relaxed during their stay.
The money to fund the project was raised through the hospice’s ‘Comfort and Care Campaign’, which launched last November. Grants from charitable trusts and donations from the Barnsley community were added to a £300,000 funding injection from the Morrisons Foundation, a charity set up by the Bradford-based supermarket.
The refurbished bedrooms will have specialist beds to improve patient comfort, furniture and décor to create a peaceful and homely environment, and new doors and windows with integral blinds that will create a much lighter and brighter environment.
They will also have new en-suite wet rooms, air conditioning and new flooring. Each room will have piped oxygen and mood lighting along with large-screen smart televisions, and wireless headphones to enhance the patient experience.
The main in-patient unit bathroom will be upgraded alongside the rest of the bedrooms over the coming months.
This is the first time the bedrooms have been fully refurbished since the in-patient unit opened in 2001. Barnsley-based building contractors CD Potter and Sons were appointed to carry out the work.
About Barnsley Hospice
As well as ten beds for inpatient care Barnsley Hospice also provides support through its day therapy unit - which opened 24 years ago - and offers counselling and complementary therapies to many of its patients and carers too.
Barnsley Hospice is based on Church Street, S75 2RL.
For more information about Barnsley Hospice go to www.barnsleyhospice.org
Media contact: Mary Ferguson at Capital B Media on 01226 766900 or at mary@capitalbmedia.co.uk
This press release was prepared by Capital B Media, a public relations and media training agency based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. For more information, please visit www.capitalbmedia.co.uk.
