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Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care night nurse Rachel Townsley, her husband Joe and her good friends Sarah and Alex Woodger will be taking part in The Great North Run on 15th September 2013 to raise money for Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care (now known as Rennie Grove Hospice Care).

The friends explain in their own words why they have chosen to take up this challenge:

The Great North Run 2013 will be the first half marathon that I have taken part in.  I have always thought the atmosphere and personal stories of courage associated with the Great North Run are inspirational and put everyday life into perspective. I am lucky to have received a place as there are so many applicants, therefore I want to give the event my all and challenge myself at the same time.

My wife Rachel is an Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care Night Nurse and has worked for the charity for 10 years. The service the charity and the nurses offer locally is unparalleled. I therefore would like to support them and raise funds by taking part in this event.

Joe Townsley - Rachel's Husband

I was thrilled when I found out I had gained a place in The Great North Run and who better to raise funds for than the charity I work for Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care.  It is great to be running with my husband and good friends Sarah and Alex.

I am one of the night nurses who together with my nursing colleagues endeavour to provide high quality care to our palliative care patients over a 24 hour period, 365 days a year. It is a privilege to be part of such a great team and work for such a dedicated organisation. I know how hard our fundraising team work to provide funding to enable us as the nurses to continue providing care, while working alongside our statutory community colleagues. I hope we raise a lot to aid this worthwhile charity.

I know ever penny raised really does make a huge difference. Thank you to everyone who supports us.

Rachel Townsley - IRGH Night Nurse

I am running The Great North Run with my husband Alex and our good friends Rachel and Jo to raise money for IRGH.

My friend Rachel and I have been training together for about a year now. It started as a bit of exercise to make us feel healthier and we enjoyed it so much that we have increased our distances and now have our husbands joining us for the 13.1 mile challenge of running The Great North Run, I am excited but also terrified.

Rachel is a specialist cancer night nurse working for IRGH. She is such a kind, caring, capable, supportive person - truly lovely and fun! When you are going through your worst nightmare imaginable with a very sick relative, knowing someone like Rachel is at the end of the phone 24 hours a day, available to come out and provide nursing and supportive care must be such a help. It enables families to stay together at home right until the end.

I believe this is such a worthwhile charity and makes such a difference to so many people.

Sarah Woodger

The opportunity to join my wife and our friends Rachel and Joe in running The Great North Run is a challenge I did not want to miss. When there is also the added bonus of being able to raise some money for such a worthwhile charity, the decision to commit the time and effort was an easy one.

The incentive is also there to train and try to catch up with our wives amazing progress with their running! I am extremely competitive but there is a long way for me to go as they can already run twice the distance I am capable of - I will catch up.

The challenge I face is of course insignificant compared to the challenge that Rachel and the Iain Rennie team face each day in providing the incredible support to those who need it. Having listened to my wife talk about the work that Rachel does, I feel humble and would like to do my bit to help ensure this support can continue.

Alex Woodger

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Please support Rachel, Joe, Sarah, Alex and Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care by giving generously.  Thank you!