Ten members of the Francis House Children’s Hospice care team are taking part in Manchester’s biggest running event.

It is that time of year again when supporters of Francis House are preparing to conquer the streets of Manchester to raise funds at the Great Manchester Run.

Kickstarting a weekend of sport is the Junior & Mini Great Manchester Run on Saturday, May 30, giving budding athletes a taste of the Great Manchester Run magic the day before the main event.

More than 90 Francis House runners are lining up with around 40,000 other competitors in central Manchester on Sunday, May 31. Among them is half-marathon first timer and YouTuber Ollie Drieu who is hoping to achieve a sub-90 minute race.

This year, several members of the Hospice care team are stepping forward to take on the 10K race to fundraise for a cause they know so well.

The team is made up of varying running abilities, some have done a race before and others are preparing for this to be their first ever race.

Kelly Thomas, a Nurse at Francis House and member of the emotional and bereavement support team, shared how the group has been keeping each other motivated: “Fitting training in around long shifts and home life hasn’t been easy. We’ve set up a WhatsApp group where we share our progress and encourage each other, which has been incredibly motivating.

“Our aim at Francis House is to give parents and carers the opportunity to have a well-deserved rest, knowing their loved ones are receiving exceptional care. For this and many other reasons, I’m honoured to be able to contribute some fundraising to this keep this hospice amazing.”

The team understand just how essential fundraising is to sustain the services provided by the hospice including respite care, sibling support, home care, end of life care and emotional and bereavement support. Seeing first-hand the impact that donations make has inspired them to take on the challenge and push themselves the extra mile.

Megan Lowe, also a Nurse on the care team, explained: “I am aware that we rely on a lot of fundraising and public donations to continue providing care for our children and young people. Being on the care team you truly see how important our service is to the families. Running 10k will definitely be a challenge! I’m looking forward to the atmosphere on the day to keep me motivated to finish the race.”

Francis House Children’s Hospice supports more than 435 families from across Greater Manchester. The hospice provides holistic care in a home from home environment to children and young adults who have a life-shortening or life-threatening condition.

Donate to the care team fundraiser at: JustGiving.com