In 10 weeks I will be running my first ever marathon and by far the furthest I have ever run! As always I will be raising money for the most amazing local charity, The Myton Hospices, where I am also privileged to work.

This will be a real challenge for me and I regularly ask myself, usually when running, why I thought this was a good idea! But it’s nothing compared to the challenges our patients, families, nurses and doctors face at Myton every single day.

Every year we need to raise £11 million to continue providing our services free of charge to our patients and their loved ones. Most people don’t realise that just 20% of our funding comes from the NHS.

Every pound raised really does make a difference so please donate if you can…

“In these situations, nothing you can do can ever make it better and the best outcome is to never need Myton. But Myton truly is the best place to be for everyone and I can’t imagine anywhere else doing a better job. The incredible doctors, nurses, volunteers and everyone involved took some of the pressure and angst out of the situation. The impact they had on me, my sons and the rest of our family is a legacy I’ll carry with me forever.” Tom’s wife Katie died at Warwick Myton Hospice aged 37. The couple have two children, Cass 4 & Percy 5.

“I am so grateful to Myton. As a couple in our thirties, we had no idea what a hospice looked like but from the minute we arrived, I knew this was the place to be. I knew the team had it from there and I vividly remember a nurse telling me I didn’t need to care for him anymore – that I could be his wife again. Myton were our safety net and made his last few hours as comfortable as possible, it was a short but instrumental part of Simon being able to have a peaceful death.” Lisa’s husband Simon died at Myton just three days before their daughter’s third birthday. Their children received individual counselling from Myton and attend our Children’s Bereavement Workshops.

These are just two examples of the thousands of people Myton supports every year. Access to hospice care shouldn’t be a lottery - by making a donation you are helping to ensure we can care for more people like Katie and Simon when they need us most, now and in the future.

Thank you for reading, donating and supporting. It means the world to me and all those Myton is here for, Holly xx