Beverley's story
Why I walk for St Leonard’s
Beverley has been part of the St Leonard’s Hospice community for over 20 years. Her involvement began in 2002, after her dad was cared for at the Hospice. Grateful for the support her family received, she looked for a way to give something back.
“I’ve been supporting St Leonard’s since 2002 after my dad was in the Hospice. The following year I wanted to give something back for all the kindness and care they had given dad and us as a family, so I did my first Haworth Challenge walk raising £1,000.
The last time I did that walk in 2021, Peter and I suggested a Yorkshire Wolds walk. Working with the Fundraising team at the Hospice, we plotted the new Wolds Walk routes, with locations for marshals and checkpoints and here we are just having completed its third year.
It’s about local people, doing local things, for their local hospice.”
For Beverley, the walk is a practical way to support the Hospice and involve others in the community.
“The walk has such lovely views,” explained Beverley, “and it’s so important that people do their bit to help the Hospice keep going. Many people don’t realise that St Leonard’s isn’t totally funded by the NHS, and that they have to generate more than 75% of their running costs through fundraising.
They not only support patients, but they also support families too. They make sure you’re ok and offer all sorts of support services.
What would we do without them when we got to that stage of our lives when we need that sort of care? The Hospice’s care is absolutely life changing, that’s how I view it. They were so kind to us and made it the best they could have made it when Dad was in there.”
Now in its third year, the Wolds Walk continues to grow, with 12 or 18 mile routes and 200 walkers taking part. Beverley’s idea has become part of how the Hospice connects with local people, raising awareness and funds along the way.
