On 23rd April, Laura Nash will be running 26.2 miles as part of the London Marathon. But she’s not just doing it for fun — Laura is hoping to raise £2,000 or more for local charity Weston Hospicecare.
‘Weston Hospicecare has an important place in my heart,’ Laura said. ‘It has provided care and support to friends, family and neighbours of mine over the past few years, and the hospice can be a place that enables people to continue to make happy memories with their family and friends right up until the end of life, and they are special memories that you will never let go of.’
Laura also has a unique insight into the hospice from a different perspective, as her mum is the In-Patient Unit manager at Weston Hospicecare. Laura’s mum, Jill Nash, has worked for Weston Hospicecare since October 2004. As part of her current role, Jill manages the team of experts who provide 24/7 palliative care to patients at the In-Patient Unit in Uphill.
‘I couldn’t be prouder of the work Mum and all of the staff at the hospice provide every single day to all of their patients and their families and friends,’ Laura said. ‘As a charity that provides all of its services free of charge and only receives 21% of the £3.5 million a year running costs from the NHS, they really do rely on the money that you donate!’
Although Laura has been running for several years on and off, she’s never done a marathon before. She has entered 10K races before, and she said the enjoyment of the atmosphere and the buzz that, as a competitive person, she got from pushing herself as hard as she could made her think about what else she could do.
‘I felt it was important to set myself a challenge and a goal in memory of those who died at the hospice and to really grab hold of life with both hands, while I am fortunate enough to be able to,’ she said.
In addition to running two or three times a week and training at Crossfit MPG in Portishead, Laura has also been putting a lot of effort into her fundraising efforts.
‘So far, I’ve had nearly £500 in donations through my JustGiving page,’ Laura said. ‘All of my friends and family have been incredibly supportive, so I want to say thank you very much. Please continue to make donations on my JustGiving page and help me support all of the staff who work at the hospice, as they strive to give the best possible care to their patients and their loved ones at what is a very difficult time.’
If you’d like to make a donation to Laura’s fundraising efforts, please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/LauraNash89. To find out more about Weston Hospicecare and the work they do, please visit www.westonhospicecare.org.uk.