What made you decide to take on the marathon for Farleigh?
As Group Finance Director at Farleigh Hospice, I probably see a slightly different side of the organisation than most people. Farleigh supports around 4,000 local people each year across mid Essex, providing specialist hospice care, support at home, inpatient care and bereavement support. All of that care is free to those who need it.
What many people don’t realise is that hospice funding remains a huge challenge. Last year, Farleigh needed to raise over £8m towards it’s running costs, and for several years Farleigh (along with the majority of the Hospice sector) have been managing significant financial pressures causing annual deficits.
We rely heavily on fundraising and community support to bridge the gap between NHS funding and the actual cost of delivering care and running the London Marathon felt like a great way to do something practical to help towards this.
How have your friends, family and colleagues reacted when you told them you signed up?
The response has been a mixture of support, encouragement and a lot of curiosity!
Most people know I enjoy running, so there wasn’t too much concern about the marathon itself. My family have accepted more conversations will somehow end up revolving around running, friends are already suggesting fundraising ideas, and colleagues seem keen to know whether I’ll actually enjoy marathon training as much as I claim I will.
How does knowing the money goes directly to supporting local hospice care help drive your motivation?
It’s probably my biggest motivator. Working in finance means I know exactly how valuable every donation is. Every sponsorship pound donated helps us continue providing care to local people when they need it most.
The fundraising target isn’t just a number on a page. It helps support real services for real people across mid Essex.
Do you have any creative or fun fundraising events planned alongside your main target?
Absolutely. One idea is a “Guess My Marathon Time” competition where supporters can predict my finishing time, with a prize for the closest guess.
I’m also considering organising a pub quiz or event and I’m sure there will be a few other ideas along the way.
How are you feeling about the long miles ahead: excited, nervous, or a bit of both?
Mostly excited. I already run regularly, so for me it’s less about learning to run and more about improving my fitness and hopefully achieving a time I’m proud of on the day.
The challenge I’m probably thinking about most isn’t actually the running. It’s how to stand out and maximise support for Farleigh. There are thousands of people running London Marathon, so I’m already wondering whether a bit of fancy dress or another fundraising twist might help attract a few extra donations!
What strategies are you putting in place to balance training runs around your work and personal life?
Fortunately, running is already part of my routine, so I’m not having to start from scratch. The bigger challenge will be finding the extra training time needed if I want to improve my marathon performance. That may mean even earlier mornings and a few more miles before most people are awake.
What part of the journey are you looking forward to the most over the coming months?
Without doubt, raising money and awareness for Farleigh Hospice. Of course, crossing the finish line in London will be a fantastic experience, but the real success will be seeing people learn more about the work Farleigh does and helping us attract new supporters.
If the marathon can encourage even a handful of people to donate, volunteer, fundraise or simply start a conversation about hospice care, then it will have been worthwhile long before race day arrives.
Fancy joining us?
All our charity places are now filled. If you have secured a ballot place or would like to do Marathon MyWay then you can still join #TeamFarleigh.
