Story
The ILX Team are back again, this time 15 of us are participating in the Northwest 5K Tough Mudder, on Saturday 10 September. We have some very nervous participants, but we are going into this with a positive mindset, we'll get through it, as a team, one way or another! Please donate, every penny counts and goes towards our two incredible charities:
Cardiomyopathy UK and Don't Lose Hope. Read more about them below, and why they're so meaningful to us.
Cardiomyopathy UK is a specialist national charity for people affected by cardiomyopathy. They provide support and information services, work to raise awareness of the condition, campaign for better access to quality treatment, and promote research. Cardiomyopathy is a disease of the heart muscle that affects around 160,000 people in the UK. Although a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy can be life-changing, with the right treatment and support most people can live full and active lives.
This charity was nominated by Nick Thomas, an Account Director at ILX who has been personally affected by this disease. Please read Nick’s story to learn the amazing work this charity did for him and his family, and why it’s so close to his heart.
The charity is very close to me after losing my father to the illness two years ago. He was first diagnosed in 2009, at the age of 51. My father worked hard all his life to provide for his family, and like many men of his generation, he didn’t always feel comfortable in sharing concerns about his health with family, friends, or even the doctor. Had he spoken out earlier he had could have potentially prevented this illness. I’m really proud that my colleagues voted for this charity, and thankful to have the opportunity to raise money for the charity so that they can continue to support other families affected by this disease.
Don't Lose Hope is a local charity based in Bourne that provides a safe haven for anyone going through a difficult time. The charity offers professional counselling for all members of the community, delivered by a team of qualified and experienced counsellors. There is a community garden that is part of their therapeutic service, and there is a café, which helps to raise funds and also acts as a place where you will always find a friendly face or someone to talk to. However, they rely on fundraising to ensure they can maintain the service they offer.
Andy West, one of our trainers at ILX, has taken great solace and received amazing support from Don’t Lose Hope as he went through an unimaginable time. Please read Andy’s story, to learn why this charity is so important to all of us at ILX.
My connection with Don’t Lose Hope started just over a year ago. In December 2019 we lost my son, Niall, to the most common cause of death in young men – suicide. A seemingly happy, employed young man with a partner, family and friends suddenly takes his own life. We had seen in the local paper that Don’t Lose Hope had been given access to a piece of land in the park in the centre of town, and were going to build a “man shed” and garden. A space where people could go to ostensibly give a hand, do some work and more importantly, talk to someone as they did so. As men are often poor at talking we thought this was a great idea and might have been a help for Niall had it been in existence. Instead of flowers, we asked people to make donations to Don’t Lose Hope to help the shed become a reality.