Hadfield couple raise over £2,000 for Hospice

A couple from Hadfield recently embarked on the 50km Peak District Ultra Challenge, to support patient care at Willow Wood.

Hayley Kelsall took part, with her partner Louis Worthington, in memory of her mum Sharon, who received end-of-life at the Hospice last year.

Hayley explained: “On 5th May 2023, my amazing mum was sadly taken away from us. During the years prior, she had many health complications however she faced it all with strength and bravery. She was the life of the party and is truly missed by everyone.

“Thanks to Willow Wood Hospice, we were able to be by her side and she was surrounded by loved ones in her final days.

“As Willow Wood heavily relies on charity to continue, we are raising funds to help ensure that other families that go through this will receive the same exceptional care and support that she did. We cannot thank the staff enough for the care my mum and the rest of our family received during and after her passing.”

They combined running and walking during the challenge on 7th July, taking in some of Derbyshire’s finest scenery and enduring some adverse weather conditions.

Hayley, 26, said: “It went really well and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, despite the bad weather! The weather made it a bit more challenging, however knowing it was for a good cause pulled us through. We are hoping to do another one (maybe even slightly longer) next year.”

Louis, 27, added: “The weather was frustrating but we enjoyed it, however it was challenging! It has been a pleasure to raise money for Willow Wood.”

The couple planned to raise £750 but, after achieving that in just one day, they kept increasing their target and have now raised over £2,000 already.

There’s still time to make a donation, by visiting their JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/hayley-kelsall-1712604077528

Lucy Ta’ati, Community and Events Fundraiser at Willow Wood Hospice, said: “We would like to thank Hayley and Louis for their fabulous fundraising efforts for the Hospice.

“We need at least £3.3 million every year to operate and around 80 per cent of those costs have to be raised from our community each year, with approximately 20 per cent coming by way of Central Government.

“If you would like to take on a challenge for Willow Wood, please get in touch with us by emailing fundraising@willowwood.org.uk or calling 0161 330 7788 so we can support you along the way.”