A determined team from a Penrith homecare provider tackled a
thrilling 4km-long course packed with mud, water and obstacles to raise money
for charity.
Five members of staff from Westmorland Homecare’s Penrith branch
took part in the Gelt Gladiator challenge at Brampton, near Carlisle, to raise
vital funds for their local hospice - Eden Valley Hospice and Jigsaw, Cumbria’s
Children’s Hospice.
“Our amazing team members stepped well outside their comfort
zones to take part in the event, which involved jumping in muddy lakes,
crawling through muddy tunnels and under nets and even jumping over a fire pit
at the end,” said Charlotte Cooper, Registered Care Manager at the branch.
“Green is Westmorland Homecare’s brand colour so we all wore
green tutus, head bands and face paint and I decorated everyone’s T-shirts with
their Gladiator names on the back.
“We started off looking great and ended up looking like drowned
rats!”
Members of the team were Charlotte, homecare assistants
Katie Brookes, Amy Banks and Melissa Atkinson and scheduling coordinator Anna
Coward. In total they raised £610 for Eden Valley Hospice through sponsorship,
along with the sign-up fees which also go to the charity.
“We all stepped well outside our comfort zones to compete in
the challenge to raise funds for the hospice, which provides invaluable support
to adults living with life-limiting illnesses,” said Charlotte.
Eden Valley Hospice helps people remain in familiar
surroundings, preserving dignity, comfort and choice at the end of life, while
also offering vital support to families and loved ones throughout their
journey.
“This cause is especially close to our hearts,” said
Charlotte. “The hospice provided wonderful care and support to our much-loved
colleague, Helen, who we sadly lost last year. Helen was instrumental in
establishing our Penrith branch and dedicated her career to supporting others
facing similar challenges.
“Taking on this challenge is our way of honouring her memory
while supporting a charity that meant so much to her and her family.”
Katie Brookes said: “It feels great to be able to support
such an incredible charity in our local area but this also was a great
opportunity for team building and supporting each other to face our fears and
we just had as much fun with it as possible”
Charlotte added: “One of Westmorland Homecare’s key values
is kindness, so we’re keen to do whatever we can to support our local community
and the vital services within it. We’ve not taken part in the Gelt Gladiator
challenge before but we shall make it an annual event and try to get even more
people involved next year. In the meantime, we’re already thinking about what
our next fund-raising challenge can be.”
Westmorland Homecare’s Penrith branch covers Penrith,
Appleby, Shap and surrounding Eden villages, providing care to enable
vulnerable and often frail people over the age of 18 to live independently in
their own home. Its services include homecare, such as help with housekeeping
and meal preparation, and personal care, which includes support with
medication, dressing and bathing and helping clients live life to the full.
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