My Story

On Sunday 27th April I will be taking part in the London Marathon for the first time ever - and raising funds for a cause that is close to my heart. My Dad is a resident at Hammerson House, in the specialist dementia care household, and I am raising money for Nightingale Hammerson because I have seen first-hand the outstanding, dedicated and specialist care that they provide to him and to the other elderly and vulnerable residents. 

I was so excited and fortunate to be given a charity place with Nightingale Hammerson. Having taken up running during Covid lockdowns with 'Couch to 5K', and building up to a half-marathon in October, it is a huge personal challenge - but it is all for a brilliant cause.

More about Nightingale Hammerson:

The high standard of care provision that Nightingale Hammerson provides includes supporting residents with advanced dementia, MS, Parkinson's, cancer, diabetes, rehabilitation including stroke recovery, hearing and visual impairment.

Nightingale Hammerson is committed to providing exceptional care for residents, regardless of their personal financial status. 40% of residents rely on subsidised fees, at a cost of £2 million a year to the charity. Neither Local Authority income nor residents' private fees come anywhere close to covering the actual costs of quality care provision, and do not stretch to delivering the facilities necessary to ensure that Nightingale Hammerson can offer specialist and safe care and facilities for all of the residents' needs.

Nightingale Hammerson's charitable purpose is to ensure that all of its residents, aged between 65 and 107, can maximise their quality of life and retain dignity and independence with regular engagement, activities and personalised therapeutic support. The in-house team includes physiotherapists, clinical psychologists, GPs, a pharmacist, dietician, occupational therapist and a speech therapist.

Continued support for Nightingale Hammerson is crucial. It will enable it to cater for increasingly more complex and costly care needs. Dementia care costs, in particular, are at an all-time high in the UK. 

Thank you in advance for supporting me with this challenge - whatever you can donate will be hugely appreciated.