I am a nurse on the Acute Medical Unit at The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust. Working at Rotherham Hospital is like being part of one big community. It has a family-friendly feel and I absolutely love my job and the people I work with. It has been a really tough year for patients and staff alike and I was looking for a way to give something back to the NHS and to do something positive for myself. 

I used to love running and the Jog On 2020 is the perfect excuse to get my trainers on and get back into it. It will help me physically to get fitter and healthier as I’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes but it will also help me feel more mentally resilient too. 

My daughter Lucy and I have started running together again and it’s brilliant to have that one-to-one time with her and also to do something for myself. It’s wonderful to be outdoors, to be able to distress and to unwind. 

I will be working all through Christmas Eve to Boxing Day so it will be a lovely feeling to know I have the Jog On to look forward to after that. It will be a new year and a new start for me and I’m determined to begin 2021 doing something positive.

So please search through your coat pockets and handbags, dig behind your sofa or donate what you can to my virtual collection bucket. All the money you help me to raise for the charity will really make a difference to the patients cared for in the community and at Rotherham Hospital, plus the amazing NHS staff in 2021. 

Thank you and Merry Christmas!