St Barnabas Hospice and the EBP have teamed up to launch a new festive fundraiser for Christmas in the form of Rudy’s Run.
Set up to encourage schools, organisations and the charities’ supporters to get involved and raise much-needed funding. The run is not a race, rather a chance for families and schools to dance, prance or run around and join in with some Christmas-themed crafts. 
Caroline Swindin, Fundraising Development Manager at St Barnabas Hospice, said: “Registering for Rudy’s Run means you receive a pair of antlers and a red nose along with a downloadable pack of activities – including Rudy’s special recipe for Reindeer food. You will also receive a ‘thank you’ message all the way from the North Pole for signing up and fundraising to support St Barnabas Hospice.
“With events and productions like pantomimes and festive gatherings postponed this year, we wanted to provide Lincolnshire schools, nurseries, groups and families with a ‘readymade’ Christmas event they can hold safely in their bubbles.
“The partnership with the EBP has been instrumental in maintaining good sign-ups for schools. However, we also wanted to make sure our activity pack hit all the right notes with fun as well as including educational activities which are perfect for younger children. We want to say a huge thank you to the team at the EBP for their support and encouragement with launching this new fundraiser.”
Matthew McKeown, Head of Commercial Services at The EBP commented “We’re delighted to team up with St Barnabas on such a fun and festive project. We hope that the schools, children and families taking part will have fun taking part whilst raising money for such a worthwhile cause.”
This Christmas, a family from Wragby will take part in the run in memory of Colin Westwood. Making up the family is Colin’s wife, Linda, their daughter, Sarah, and their grandchildren, Mollie (10), Thomas (9) and Bethan (6). 
Linda, Sarah and family have witnessed first-hand the care and compassion from St Barnabas Hospice when Colin was in their care in 2013. Colin was diagnosed with bowel cancer and had his first operation just three days after his granddaughter, Mollie, was born.
Over the next few years, the cancer spread to his lymph glands and lungs.
Colin’s daughter, Sarah, said: “In Dad’s last few weeks the St Barnabas Hospice at Home team from Louth were amazing. Dad’s final wish was to die at home, and we just wouldn’t have been able to carry this out without them. He was dignified and hated to rely on others for help, but the nurses made him feel comfortable and gave him the dignity he needed.
“After a visit from his GP, Mum told us it was time to be at home with Dad as he didn’t have long left. We decided to have fish and chips in his room that week and celebrate his upcoming birthday. We read all his cards out to him and sang ‘happy birthday’. Dad died the next day in the early hours of the morning, age 81.
“Since Dad died, keeping his memory alive has been so important to us as a family. Mollie and Thomas were only young when he passed away, but we always talk about him and do things in his memory. We have taken part in On Yer Bike and Colour Dash for St Barnabas, as well as dedicating a forget me not and dragonfly in his memory. 
“Rudy’s Run stood out to us as an initiative we would love to support together. Mum joined a St Barnabas bereavement group after Dad passed away, which was invaluable to her. She made some great friends and found an outlet for her grief where she could talk to others in her position. The fact that Rudy’s Run is raising money to support the Hospice’s bereavement services means a lot to our family and we are determined to do our bit to help.”
Thomas said: “I miss when my grandad used to bounce me on the bed to make me giggle. We will be doing Rudy’s Run to help other poorly people like him.”
St Barnabas Hospice is renowned for its outstanding end of life care for adults but also provides pre and post-bereavement support for families. This invaluable support is free for anyone in Lincolnshire who is struggling with loss, and more work is being done at St Barnabas to create a specialist bereavement service for children as young as five.
Losing a parent, sibling, or grandparent can be extremely traumatic for a child and can affect more children than many people imagine.
Rudy’s Run has been designed to promote and raise funds for this service as well as maintaining St Barnabas Hospice’s overall mission throughout the most difficult year ‘to offer compassionate, end of life care’.
Schools, nurseries or groups are able to sign up free of charge by visiting www.stbarnabashospice.co.uk/rudysrun
If you would like to access our free Bereavement support services, please contact our easy, self-referral line on 0300 303 1897 or read more on the service here: https://stbarnabashospice.co.uk/services/wellbeing-support/bereavementhelpline/