Heroes go the extra mile for Severn Hospice

Throughout the year, events ranging from Dragon Boat races to inflatable obstacle courses, weekly lottery draws and coffee mornings bring in valuable funds for the hospice.

And for those who volunteer and work for the hospice, from shopworkers, marathon runners and nurses, to fundraisers and community carers, their work never ends – even over Christmas.

Among those raising the millions of pounds needed for the running of the hospice is 52-year-old Nick Deane from Shrewsbury who has raised thousands of pounds for the charity.

And last year was no different.

Nick, who runs a marketing agency in Shrewsbury, first encountered the hospice when his mother-in-law Liz Nuttall died at home while being cared for by the hospice's nursing team.

Spurred on, he decided to do what he could for the charity which made her last days as comfortable as possible.

"I am not a runner," said Nick. “And I'm least looking forward to the having to run on miserable winter nights.

“The hospice provided excellent support to Liz when she had cancer, and having lost my own father to cancer over 25 years ago I truly value the support outreach nurses and the hospice provide for those with incurable illness and to the immediate family.

Over the years he has completed the Amsterdam Marathon, the Market Drayton half marathon, the Shrewsbury half and a couple of London Marathons.

"So far I have raised around £6,000 and when I run next year in the marathon I hope to match that."

To do so, Nick is holding a monthly online auction. November's raised £390 and Nick is hopeful that each auction will raise a similar amount.

As a full-time member of the hospice's staff, Elizabeth Andrews is adamant that without her team of 35 volunteers, her job as community shop manager for Severn Hospice would be an awful lot harder.

"We are like a family," said Elizabeth, who is 32, and has worked for the charity for the past five years.

"I worked in London and in Manchester for high street names and to work for the hospice is wonderful. We know that all the money we make goes right back in to the charity and that gives a great sense of satisfaction.

"I had been involved in volunteering in various aspects over the years. I have an amazing team of volunteers and they are so reliable and committed. I know that if I need to I can just call anyone up and they will come in and help out. They do that little bit extra because they want to support the charity in any way they can.

"We know there are a lot of charity shops in Shrewsbury but we think we have a lot to offer. The donations we receive are amazing and I am astounded by the quality of what we get. It's incredible and every purchase, no matter how small adds up."

"I saw how they helped my dad, and I wanted to do the same," said Freya Solner, who on Christmas Day was working on Perry Ward at the hospice in Shrewsbury.

The 23-year-old nursing assistant lost her dad Kevin when he was just 55 years old. He was cared for by staff at the hospice who made him as comfortable as possible and as she already worked in the caring profession, she decided she wanted to work at the place that has looked after her dad in his final days.

"I came here about 18 months ago and I love it. It is so rewarding and it has been great for me to be able to put in to practice everything I saw when my dad was here.

"I think that my dad would be very proud of what I do and that I am helping people. The people who work here are amazing. They have helped me so much so it has been an easy transition for me to come and work here. They have taught me so much. They have always been there to talk to and they have so much experience to share with me. They are a brilliant team."

Severn Hospice Chief Executive Heather Tudor said: “Christmas is a particularly special time for everyone at the hospice as you can imagine. For our staff and those volunteering at Christmas the routine of the day might be the same as any other but they all recognise the importance of it for the families in our care.

“I’m proud of my colleagues and our volunteers every day of the year, but especially so at Christmas when they’re spending time away from their own families to help others’. To me it just shows the heart of our care and commitment.”