Story
I’m raising £500 for Headway York – a local charity that helps people affected by brain injury feel less alone, rebuild confidence, and adjust to life after such a life-changing event.
One of our customers, Alex, shared his story with me recently, and it really stuck. I wanted to do something meaningful that would not only raise money but also give Alex something positive to focus on, supporting a group that means so much to him.
On Sunday 17th May, we’ll be taking on the Jacob’s Ladder Circular Walk in Edale – around 8 miles – along with my colleagues from Cemex, as well as family, friends, and Alex himself.
Headway York provides vital support, connection, and community for people like Alex's partner Beverly. It’s more than just a group – it’s a lifeline.
Please take a few minutes to read Alex’s story below, in his own words, to understand just how important this community is to him.
Thank you so much for your support – every donation really does make a difference.
Beverly spent her life doing what many people never have to think about: rebuilding herself. After a life‑changing accident, she had to relearn how to walk, how to speak, how to navigate the world again. Most of us take these things for granted; she had to earn them twice. And through all of it — every setback, every challenge — she still had a smile for anyone who crossed her path.
She carried more loss than anyone should: her sister, her father, her mother, her stepfather. Yet none of it dimmed her spirit. If anything, it sharpened her determination. She studied psychology at night school, practised yoga and meditation, and devoted herself to understanding the brain and the resilience of the human mind. She never stopped trying to grow, to learn, to help others.
In August 2025, after a year marked by the loss of two dogs and the passing of my own mother, Beverly fell suddenly ill. Earlier that year I had spent eight weeks in hospital myself; but complications had left a permanent mark on my health. Beverly nursed me back to strength with the same quiet resolve she brought to everything.
But after a short and unexpected battle with ovarian cancer, Beverly passed away on the day of our 28th anniversary. She was 51 years old.
Headway supported Beverly through some of the hardest chapters of her life, and I’m grateful that Cemex have chosen to walk in her honour this year. The route — Jacob’s Ladder in the Peak District — is one Beverly and I once began together, promising we’d return to finish it. This walk continues a journey she never got to complete.
Supporting this fundraiser means supporting people like Beverly: people who are rebuilding themselves, step by step, with courage most of us will never have to summon. It means helping others find their way back into the world after everything has changed.
Thank you for walking with her, and with us.
