A SUE Ryder Nurse and her hospice volunteer husband are going head to head in the Leeds Half this weekend, in the hope of raising vital funds for the charity close to their hearts.
Sarah Norman, 52, a Community Nurse Specialist at Sue Ryder Wheatfields and her husband, Andy Norman, 51, who volunteers with the hospice maintenance team, hope their double efforts will raise more than £500 for the charity.
Sarah has worked as a Community Nurse Specialist at Sue Ryder Wheatfields for 21 years. She say it is the patients she cares for which inspire her to raise vital funds so more people can receive the care she helps deliver.
“As a community nurse at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice I see my patients and their families facing daily challenges beyond anything we’ve ever had to endure. And it is this which gives us the strength to keep on pushing, running to raise funds for the hospice.”
“Sue Ryder is such a caring and inclusive organisation. The best thing about doing my job is just how rewarding it is,” adds Sarah. “It is such an honour to be there for people at what is such an important and emotional time in their lives.
“Most people think that the job is depressing and there are days when I am sad, but there are days when I see a patient we have helped make more comfortable and it makes it so worthwhile.”
Inspired by the care his wife gives, Andy has been volunteering at the hospice for the past three years too.
“I work for myself so have the time available to volunteer and I really enjoy hands on DIY practical problem solving tasks,” he said. “I love what Sue Ryder is doing, the people and the building. It is a really great place to be. Everyone says hello and I have found other friends who volunteer here by coincidence too. It has been great to see them again.”
The couple say they are humbled by the support they receive from others in their running and fundraising endeavours too.
“We get a lot of support from people who have been helped by Sue Ryder,” said Andy.
Sarah added: “We’d like to thank everyone who has supported us in our running and fundraising before and continue to support us now."
To donate to Sarah and Andy’s fundraising visit their giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Sarah-AndyNorman
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