I will be running the London Marathon for Ashgate Hospice, in memory of my beautiful sister Ashleigh, who passed away aged 25 in April 2024. Ashgate Hospice cared for Ashleigh following her terminal cancer diagnosis, and the support they provided to our family was exceptional. I appreciate first hand how essential Ashgate’s services are to families like ours, and a lack of government funding means they rely heavily on donations and fundraising.

I am definitely no athlete, and as my sister once said “The last time I ran was to the front of the school dinner queue on ‘chicken nugget Friday’!” - but I’m ready to throw myself into training, and I’m encouraged by the fact that no matter how mentally and physically difficult this challenge will be for me, it will not compare to what Ashleigh went through every day (and yet she still always had a smile on her face!).

It is an absolute privilege to be able to honour her memory in this small way whilst raising money for such a fantastic charity, and a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has already donated!

A special message from Ashgate Hospice below:

London Marathon 2025's #TeamAshgate is full of wonderful runners this year, all working hard to raise money for Ashgate Hospice. We provide specialist palliative care for people with life-limiting illnesses across North Derbyshire. Ashgate Hospice also provides support for the families of those we care for, and all our services are available in the community, patients own homes, and in our 21-bed in-patient unit located in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Help our team reach their fundraising targets as they take on one of the most iconic races in the world: The London Marathon!