We, the management team at the Grey Horse in Manchester, are raising money for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Saint Mary's Hospital.

It's not a cause I ever thought I'd want or need to support, but life rarely goes the way you want it to. In an ideal world, I'd have no knowledge of NICU, or Saint Mary's, but I unfortunately now do.

When something bad or sad happens to people I care about, I often say "If I can do anything to help..." and I say it meaning well, but often I can't do anything. It's a way of showing emotional support, but what I didn't want it to be was an empty gesture. I wanted to actually help. 

A good friend of mine and his partner had a baby prematurely recently. Christian David Eldridge. He very sadly died five days later. The feeling of shock, sadness and hopelessness I felt when I heard the news is still with me today. I can't imagine how bad it was for my friends. I will use the strength they showed and continue to show as an inspiration for the rest of my days.

They spoke of the support and care they received from the NICU at Saint Mary's, and I decided that my offer of help had to be a practical one. I don't want anyone to have to suffer loss like this. I want babies and parents to receive the best possible care and support. I want the doctors, nurses and staff at the NICU to be able to their job to the best of their abilities.

Saint Mary’s Hospital Charity, part of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, focuses on three key areas – treatment, research and care. This means purchasing cutting edge equipment, funding pioneering medical research and creating a supportive environment for tiny babies and their families during an emotional and daunting time, including free accommodation for parents and bereavement services.

If you want to know more about these heroes, they can tell you about themselves better than I can. Here's a link:

https://mft.nhs.uk/saint-marys/services/newborn-intensive-care-unit-nicu/

I'm not very athletic. The only thing I've run in the past 15 years is bar tabs. George, my assistant manager, is more of a pro. He's done the Manchester 10k before, and he ran the London Marathon. Granted, he finished in a time that put him somewhere behind the fella who does it in the big old diving suit, but that's more than I've ever done, so he's the expert on the team.

Our target is £150 each. That's nothing though. We want to smash that. We want to raise as much money as possible, and finish the race in as fast a time as possible. We made a promise to our mate, and we intend to keep it. I know everyone is doing things for charity these days, and you all give a lot to causes that mean a lot to you, but please help if you can.

If you can't afford much, the price of a pint of Amstel in the Grey Horse is £4. Donate that if you can. If you can afford a pint each for me and George, all the better. Every little helps.

Thanks for reading, and see you on the finish line

Chris & George
The Grey Horse