Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice's Team Reindeer taking part in huge Christmas fundraising challenge

Colleagues from all parts of the Peterborough hospice are taking on the festive fundraiser, including Sue Ryder Nurses and Nursing Assistants, therapists, family support staff, kitchen team members, administrators and fundraisers.

Each person has pledged to do 5k on a different day throughout December, including Christmas Day.

Their challenge is raising vital funds for the expert palliative care they give to the local community and to date they’ve raised £721.

‘Team Reindeer’ is part of a large community of fellow dashers getting involved with Sue Ryder’s December Daily Dash, locally and further afield.

The support comes at a crucial time for Sue Ryder, the national healthcare charity which runs Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice.

Last month, the charity was forced to launch its second urgent fundraising campaign of 2020 ‘We can’t stop’ in response to the impact the Coronavirus pandemic has had on its funding.

Team Reindeer member Debbie Smith, the hospice’s Medical Secretary, completed 5k on Sunday 6th December by walking around Burghley Park, Stamford, and nearby Barnack Hills and Holes.

“The reason I put my name forward for the challenge is because my mum was cared for at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice 11 years ago this month,” she said.

“The care was amazing and has stayed with me ever since. I feel it is such an important place for patients and their families to be offered the same support I was given. This is a small way of helping to contribute towards the ongoing care offered.”

Fellow team-mate, Diane Deidda, Finance Assistant, walked 5k around The Ortons on Monday 7th December.

“I help the fundraising team when I can, to raise funds for the vital care we give at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, especially at Christmas time,” she added.

Joely Garner, the hospice’s Community Fundraising Manager, also took part by running 5k around her home town of Market Deeping, Lincolnshire, on Thursday 10th December.

Joely said: “Our staff regularly go the extra mile caring for local people with life-limiting conditions and have carried on caring throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. Now they have physically gone the extra mile too – each dashing 5k in December to raise vital funds for the families they support. Thank you and well done to everyone involved; it’s a real team effort.

“Their support comes at an important time. We recently launched our second urgent fundraising appeal of 2020 to ensure we could continue to provide the expert and compassionate palliative and bereavement care that we are so proud of. We remain heavily reliant on voluntary income from kind-hearted companies, trusts, foundations and our super supporters.”

You can support Team Reindeer’s festive fundraiser through JustGiving: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thorpehall-december-daily-dashYou can find out more about Sue Ryder’s ‘We can’t stop’ campaign by visiting www.sueryder.org/winterappeal20