As official Local Charity of the Year, Dorothy House Hospice Care saw its biggest number of runners joining Team Dotty in the 2017 Vitality Bath Half Marathon last Sunday, 12th March.
Photo courtesy of Colin Rayner Photography
With 180 runners taking part compared to 142 in 2016, the Hospice is on track to exceed 2016’s fundraising total of £54,000.
The Team Dotty runners were waved off by Dorothy House’s sporting Ambassador, Jo Muir, an International Modern Pentathlete and GB squad member who is working towards selection for the Tokyo Summer Olympics in 2020.
Dorothy House offers end of life and palliative care to patients and support for their families in Bath, parts of Somerset and Wiltshire. Corporate teams running for Team Dotty included Royds Withy King, Curo and Avon Autos among others.
30-year-old Bath resident Lydia Storr-Meddings, ran the Vitality Bath Half Marathon for Dorothy House in memory of her Mother after the outstanding palliative care she received whilst ill with cancer. Over 10 months Lydia’s mother received invaluable support and help from Dorothy House, whose nurses visited her at home, at times on a daily basis.
It was a huge comfort knowing that the Hospice at Home nurses would be back again the following day, both for Lydia as a carer and her mother as a patient. Lydia’s mum sadly lost her fight against cancer in August 2016.
Lydia said: “I wanted to repay Dorothy House in any way I could as the comfort and support given to my family was so gratefully received. Sunday’s run was tough but the fantastic Team Dotty supporters in the crowd really helped spur me on as did the sponsorship I’d raised.”
Lydia’s run has raised £1,400 so far for Dorothy House which will help the hospice continue supporting over 900 patients each day and will enable them to connect patients to each other, to offer rehabilitation programmes and complementary therapies and provide counselling for patients, their families and carers.
Emily Knight, Events Fundraiser at Dorothy House Hospice Care said: “We’d like to thank Lydia for her great run and fundraising achievement on Sunday and for sharing her Mum’s experience of Dorothy House.
“We’re delighted the Vitality Bath Half Marathon was such a success, there was an amazing atmosphere and we’re so proud of all our ‘Team Dotty’ runners, the vital funds they’ve raised will help us provide care when it matters most.
“Our thanks to everyone who supported Dorothy House yesterday, we look forward to seeing you all again next year.”
