Please help Gem, Tom and Nell raise funds for Forget Me Not Children's Hospice.

We aim to walk, run, cycle, swim, surf and snowboard (indoor slope!) 500km in September. As part of Challenge for Change, a worldwide movement fuelled by a shared commitment to children’s futures, together, with others across the world, we’ll cover 41,000 kilometers, the distance around the globe to raise funds for local charities that provide life-changing support to children in need. This is an especially ambitious challenge for me at the moment, as I am still recovering from knee surgery and receiving sports physio to get me back running. Hopefully, I'll be good by September but if not I'll walk, swim and cycle the miles etc instead.

We chose to raise funds for local charity Forget Me Not Children's Hospice because of the amazing work they do to support children and their parents who have received a terminal diagnosis.

Back in lockdown, Tom was prioritised for kidney surgery at Leeds General Hospital, most routine surgery had been cancelled due to the pandemic, however the doctors felt that his condition was serious enough to warrant immediate treatment. It was one of the most frightening times of my life, knowing my child was off to theatre, there were risks involved and no one else from the family was allowed to be there.

But I was one of the fortunate parents, who knew that after surgery the chances were my child would recover quickly and the issue would be fixed. On the pre-op children's ward there was a little girl undergoing treatment for cancer and it will stick with me forever, how she begged her mum not to make her go into surgery again, how she'd just had enough of hospitals and drugs, she was pleading to be left alone. Her poor mum had to keep a brave face and explain again why it had to happen and how it'd all be OK, whilst inside her heart must've been breaking.

It struck me then how difficult it is for families with seriously ill children and how it's not just the medical care they need but people around them who understand and can share some of the terrible burden at the very worst time of their lives. For those who receive the worst possible diagnosis, Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice not only provides outstanding clinical care – but also a helping hand, listening ear and a place to be together to make the most of every moment.

This year they need to raise £6 million to fund their services and only 10% of that comes from the NHS or government!

Please support us if you can. Even a tiny donation will help us to raise vital funds to ensure this amazing charity can continue to be there for these brave children and their parents. THANK YOU!