A TEAM of eight health care assistants from Dr Kershaw’s have come together to support the hospice where they work and are urging the community to also sign up for the ‘Virtual Hospice Walk’.
Marie Taylor, Jane Gartside, Stella Brown, Steph Monaghan, Diane Atkins, Leanne Ward and Nicola Ingham work in the Royton-based hospice’s Caring Hands Team to provide patients with end-of-life care in their own homes.
Family member Emma Lomas also took part and Caring Hands health care assistant Tracey Deblasio will be taking part in her own solo walk on Saturday, June 19.
With their six mile walk completed on Saturday, June 12, Marie said: “We love our jobs but they can also be very demanding, and at times, physically and mentally draining as well as very sad.
“We feel privileged to be able to provide the specialist care that is needed at the end of someone’s life, in their own surroundings and to be able to offer support to the patient’s families who are having a really tough time.
“We are a strong team and those who could decided to sign up for the walk together to support each other, promote the service and our Hospice while raising money at the same time.”
Taking to the streets of Oldham and Rochdale to complete the same route as the former Hospice to Hospice Walk from Dr Kershaw’s to Springhill, the team received an excellent reaction from the community.
Marie added: “The walk was fabulous, we had such a good time! Cars and vans were pipping their horns at us and were stopping to put money in our buckets.
“We had so many people telling us that their relatives had been cared for by us, and how grateful they were.
“Thanks to those who have also signed up for the walk. If you are still considering it, it’s not too late – please do sign up and help to support more patients from our community.”
The hundreds of pounds raised by Marie and the team will go towards supporting the patients who they care for in their own homes, when those patients need it the very most.
Sponsored by Jackson and Jackson Ltd who were responsible for building the Hospice’s new In-Patient Unit, Dr Kershaw’s Hospice’s new ‘Virtual Hospice Walk’ has the slogan ‘Your Walk, Your Day, Your Way’.
It gives those who sign up the opportunity to take on a walk of their chosen distance, on their chosen day and their own route. It’s not too late to sign up for the virtual walk taking place throughout June.
Walkers will be able to take part with a route of 5km or more if they want to challenge themselves, with all ages being encouraged to join in, even four legged friends.
Registration is just £8 per person, with walkers receiving a fundraising pack including a sponsor form, T-shirt, temporary tattoo, bespoke walker number and a post walk virtual medal.
For more information on Dr Kershaw’s ‘Virtual Hospice Walk’ or to sign up visit www.drkh.org.uk/hospice-walk or call 0161 624 9984.
If you registered for the 2020 Hospice to Hospice Walk and transferred your registration fee to 2021, your entry to Dr Kershaw’s ‘Virtual Hospice Walk’ is free of charge. Please select the appropriate option on the online registration form.
For those who do sign up please remember to adhere to the latest Government Guidelines in June on how many people / households can be together at that time.
Dr Kershaw’s Hospice provides free, specialist, end-of-life and palliative care for adults with life-limiting illnesses in Oldham and its surrounding areas in a peaceful and homely environment.
The Hospice opened in 1989 following the conversion and development of a 1930s cottage hospital originally built with a legacy from Dr John Kershaw, a local GP.
To find out more, visit www.drkh.org.uk or call the Hospice on 0161 624 2727.
