Thank you for taking a couple of minutes of your busy day, to read why we are walking 50k to raise funds for Produce World Isleham's Charity of the Year ‘Hospice at Home’ (part of the Arthur Rank Hospice, however all funds will go directly to Hospice at Home).

We both have a personal link to the charity and this is the reason for taking on this challenge, this is something we are starting to regret after the first weeks training!

Kerry’s grandmother was fortunate enough to have the support and care of Arthur Rank in her final weeks of life.  Her mother realised the importance of the charity and their commitment to give people (young or old), the resources to be able to choose to spend their final days of life at home with their loved ones.  She has worked for Hospice at Home for the past three years and in consequence Kerry understands the importance of being able to choose where to spend your final days.

Cassandra’s father passed away in 2010, following a medical diagnosis where treatment was not appropriate, he asked to be discharged to the peace of his own home and was stoic and positive until the end.  Cassandra was privileged to have the support of a excellent health care team for what was a very emotional and stressful time.

Cassandra feels it was an honour to care for her dad and hold his hand when he left this world being nursed at home.  It is for this reason that your support is so important to us, so that we can help other patients and their families.

End of life care is an important and often difficult time for patients, their families and professional carers. Clinical teams have to pay attention to the wishes of the patient and their families. Until recently, dying at home was thought to be medically difficult to support and only a few were able to create the right support networks to help them. End of life care in a patient’s own home was variable and provision inadequate, particularly at night and at weekends. 

The Hospice at Home service provides registered nurses or health care assistants to care for patients overnight (10pm to 7am) in their own homes. Over the past two years the Hospice at Home service has expanded from just two nurses to six, with an additional two bank nurses, fourteen health care assistants and a complementary therapist. The Hospice at Home service now cares for about 40 patients a month, enabling them to die in their own homes. 

We are initially trying to raise £1,100 which would pay for a syringe driver.

However whatever the amount you decide to give, your donation will make a very real difference to Hospice at Homes work and to the lives of the people that they help every day.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.