Leighton Hospital’s charity has launched a virtual festive fun run as a way for people to safely raise money during lockdown.
Mid Cheshire Hospitals Charity, part of Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, normally holds a festive “Merry Mile” in Crewe’s Queens Park every December.
The event invites participants of all ages to “run, walk or toddle” a mile to raise money for the charity.
But the Coronavirus pandemic has forced the event to be cancelled, so the festive fundraiser is going “virtual” instead to keep up the annual tradition.
Registration is via the charity’s social media accounts or website and is £10 for adults and £5 for children over 11 (under 11s free).
The event takes place between Monday November 30 and Saturday December 12.
The first 250 entrants will get a free Santa Hat and children will get a certificate for completing the event.
All money raised will go towards the Lost Little Ones appeal, which will provide the funds to create a dedicated suite and attached outside space on the labour ward at Leighton Hospital for people experiencing baby loss.
The suite will allow parents to stay together for a few hours or days with their baby in a comfortable, non-clinical environment to spend quiet time together away from the rest of the ward.
The Lost Little Ones appeal aims to raise £100,000 and was almost three quarters of the way to the target when the COVID-19 pandemic struck.
The appeal was paused whilst the Charity team supported the hospital trust to develop projects which have supported the health and wellbeing of staff.
The charity will be using a number of festive activities, including their popular Wear It Festive day on Thursday December 17, to re-launch the appeal.
This year’s fundraiser will again be sponsored by Crewe-based Alpha Omega Securities who joined the charity last year to make the event bigger than ever.
Emma Robertson, MCH Charity Manager, said: “The Merry Mile is absolutely our most favourite event of the year, so we weren’t going to let the restrictions of 2020 stop us doing what we love.
“Working with Ken and the fabulous team over at Alpha Omega, we think we’ve come up with a great, safe, virtual version which will still have all the festive family fun that the Merry Mile is known for.
“We’ve renamed it ‘Merry Miles’ for 2020 and the fundraiser pack is loaded with things for all the whole family, including a new branded t-shirt and certificates for the children.”
Ken Lawton, of Alpha Omega Securities, said: “It is a real pleasure we are working with the MCH Charity team again this year in supporting raising funds for The Lost Little Ones appeal as we feel that this is very important to the community and especially those that have lost a child.
“In the difficult time that we are in I hope that this event can create fun for all that are able to support us.
“We would love to top the amount raised last year.”
(Pic: Left to right – Carole Salmon MCHC Community Fundraiser MCHC, Ken Lawton Managing Director Alpha Omega, Russ Favager MCHFT Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Finance, Andy Taylor Operations Director Alpha Omega, Andy Golightly MCHC Charity Administrator)
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