Dash for cash Neil’s daily challenge will help hospice funds
AGLOUCESTERSHIRE nurse is running five kilometres every day in December to raise money for the Sue Ryder Trust.
Neil Annis, 49, a senior nursing assistant in the home hospice team at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, in Cheltenham, is raising funds in the December Daily Dash challenge.
Neil will run 155km, or 96.3 miles, through the month – slightly further than the distance between Leckhampton Court Hospice and Buckingham Palace.
He said: “I hope I can raise funds to help Sue Ryder get through this difficult period which we have found ourselves in through no fault of our own.
“I want to make sure we continue to provide quality palliative care for as many people as needed.
“I will do my daily 5k as and when I can – whether I get up early, after I finish work or on the gap in between shifts.
“I’m working Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve this year, but I will make sure I squeeze the 5k in. If I do it in the morning it will give my day a bit of a kick-start, too.”
Not only will the challenge raise vital funds for the charity he works for, Neil says getting outdoors will also help him mentally.
He added: “The December Daily Dash is a way to keep me exercising – if I walk or if I run it. I love being out and about and being outdoors, even if I hate running, to be honest.
“For me, exercise helps me mental health-wise, so doing the December Daily Dash will really help with my wellbeing.”
Over the past year, Neil has been on a huge journey, not only working on the front line throughout the coronavirus pandemic, but experiencing a difficult year personally.
“This time last year I buried my dad. He had vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s and after his death I was lost. I just sat on the sofa and ate. I was tipping the scales at 18.5 stone,” he said.
“I wasn’t happy with myself, so I did something about it. I started with my diet and when I got to a point that I could not lose any more weight, I started exercising. In July, I had a cardiac procedure for cardio ablation and my new exercise regime helped with my recovery from that, too.
“It was my boss on the hospice at home team, Emma, who suggested I look at doing the virtual 10k for Cheltenham Half as a personal challenge and help raise funds for the hospice. So I started doing Couch to 5k, then built up to doing the 10k.
“I was quite emotional when I finished the 10k. I sat on a bench and had a few tears. It was such a relief. I am very proud of where I am now from where I was 12 months ago. I have been on a massive journey and it has been a really positive one.”
“All my colleagues have been really supportive, too, and most of them sponsored my virtual 10k in the Cheltenham Half. It means a lot to me.”
As well as boosting his fitness and wellbeing, Neil has raised £1,900 so far for Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice this year.
To donate to Neil’s December Daily Dash challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/neils-next-challenge.
To find out more about Sue Ryder’s second urgent fundraising appeal of 2020, visit www.sueryder.org/winterappeal20.
I am very proud of where I am now from where I was 12 months ago
Neil Annis