At the end of October, our wonderful neighbour Michelle, sadly passed away after a brave battle against cancer, at the tender age of 43. Michelle spent time at St Luke’s, as they attempted to get control of the agonising pain that she was in. Both Michelle and husband Dave had been indebted to the care that St Luke’s provided. My aim is to run the Manchester Marathon in memory of Michelle, and also continue Dave’s excellent work in raising funds for St Luke’s. Dave says it best, but if Michelle’s legacy can be maintained by helping others, this will provide some comfort.

Since 1988, St Luke’s has been providing palliative care to local people, supporting them in ways which go beyond the scope and funding of the NHS. Last year we supported over 1,000 local people with a huge range of support from end of life care on our ward to supporting carers, and from helping children cope with grief to helping patients return to work after an illness.

We are a charity and provide all our care for free, so we rely on the generosity and commitment of our supporters to raise more than 80% of our costs.