The Poucher family has been fundraising for St Barnabas for nine years – and they’re not planning on stopping!
Mollie (12), Thomas (11), Bethan (7) and mum Sarah began raising money when Sarah’s dad, Colin, was cared for at home by St Barnabas. Since then, they’ve raised over[£1,500 to help make sure other families can be supported too. The Pouchers have organised all sorts of fundraisers over the years, but two stick in the children’s minds.
In the summer of 2020, Mollie and Thomas dusted down their bikes to take on St Barnabas’ 100km challenge. Mum did the same and young Bethan sat on the back. After practising their cycling skills on holiday in Cornwall, they returned home and set about the challenge. Their adventures saw them cycling around farmland, local villages and visiting parks for a pitstop. They sometimes had a pitstop at their local Co-op too, to pick up milk. Bethan was in charge of it on the return journey and usually managed it without incident. Until the day she stretched out her arm holding the milk. It unbalanced the bike, mum and Bethan ended up in a bush! But they finished their challenge and cycled 100km in just a month.
That same year, they took part in Rudy’s Run. Wearing antlers, red noses and Christmas jumpers, the whole family walked four miles for us – even their dog wore antlers! They didn’t just raise over £300, but they also inspired a whole school to take part.
Ask Mollie, Thomas and Bethan which event they enjoyed most and you’ll get a different answer. But they all agree on how proud their grandad would be of them and all they’ve done to raise money. They each have a story to tell about their grandad, from his tickly beard, cheeriness and love of reading to the way he’d pretend to pick strawberries off Mollie’s strawberry-print dress, and Bethan’s birth a year to the day of Colin’s funeral. Colin’s illness, and care from St Barnabas and others, have even inspired Mollie to want to become a doctor – an ambition her grandad once had too.
While Mollie, Thomas and Bethan continue to be inspired by St Barnabas and plan to keep fundraising, we’re well and truly inspired by their hard work and dedication.
In their own words…
“St Barnabas is always going to be our family charity. It’s hard to watch someone you love go through what our dad and grandad did. But the Hospice team helped him stay at home and made sure he had his dignity. He was a very proud man and would’ve appreciated that. They were amazing.” Sarah