Two Nottingham nurses are taking on the Robin Hood Half Marathon this September in aid of Nottingham Hospitals Charity’s Hayward House Appeal. 

Jennie Warrior and Juta Kirby, who are both nurses at Hayward House palliative care centre at Nottingham City Hospital, are taking part in the running challenge to raise money for the patients and families they care for.

Jennie said: “I'm passionate about my nursing job and wanted to help contribute towards the Hayward House Appeal. I feel it is so important to make our environment even better for our patients, which will help them receive quality care and create special memories when they approach the end of their life. 

“I've wanted to increase my running distance for a while now and thought the Robin Hood Half Marathon would be an ideal opportunity. I'm feeling excited but a bit nervous about doing the half marathon!”

Juta said: “I am really looking forward to the Robin Hood Half Marathon and really hope many friends and colleagues will come to support us on the day. We are raising money for Hayward House as it would improve our patients’ and their families’ experience in their most difficult time.”

Amber is running in memory of her Uncle Mick, and to raise money for Hayward House, where Mick was cared for in his final days.

Amber and her family are so grateful for the care Mick received that she has decided to take on the challenge in aid of Hayward House Appeal, which is raising money for enhancements to the palliative care centre at the City Hospital.

Talking about her uncle, Amber said: “Uncle Mick was the absolute life of the party - a loud, funny, infectious, larger than life personality really defined him. As a successful businessman he held the perfect balance of charisma and intellect and I've never known an individual impact so many others to the extent Mick did.

“However, his main love - and not always a smooth ride - was Nottingham Forest. A die-hard season ticket holder alongside an incredible ability to consume more beer than anyone else made days at the City Ground memorable for everyone!

“He absolutely adored his family, we have a big family and we'd all look forward to our tradition on Boxing Day where we'd go to the pub and play all sorts of games which Mick was of course, front and centre for. He leaves behind his wife Anne, his daughters Shannon and Chloe, as well all his nieces and nephews who all really feel his loss.”

Amber says she is by no means an experienced runner, but has always wanted to take on a half marathon, and fundraising in memory of her Uncle Mick was the perfect reason to sign up and start training. 

She said: “The half marathon goal started as a personal goal to motivate myself on a fitness basis, but seeing the response I was getting when telling people I was doing it and the conversations it started to provoke, it felt like a no brainer to fundraise alongside this. People have such respect for Mick, and the hole he's left is immense, so it just feels so apt. He would have without a doubt been at the finish line with a pint in hand for me!”

My daughter Abigail went to America with her boyfriend in February 2019 to begin an exciting new chapter for them both. Sadly, in June 2019 after suffering constant headaches that would not go no matter how many painkillers she took, she was eventually diagnosed with a medulloblastoma grade 4 – an aggressive brain tumour. After 4 months she very sadly lost her fight after undergoing two surgeries to remove the first and recurring tumours.

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating cancer. That is why I am trying to raise both awareness and funding for vital research into this deadly disease.

Abigail was the most fun loving, kind, passionate human being who is missed by so many including myself, her step-father and her sister. If she can be brave enough to go through what she did and stay positive throughout, I am definitely going to challenge myself in order to raise money for vital research.

Charley Coulson ran the 2022 Robin Hood Half Marathon with the aim of finishing the 13.1-mile distance in 2 hours and 30 minutes. She wanted to say thank you to Nottingham Hospitals for the care they gave her grandparents, and also for saving her Dad’s life three times over the past 3 years.

Charley said: “Nottingham Hospitals did everything they could when both my Grandparents were sadly diagnosed with cancer. Not only that but they’ve saved my Dad’s life three times in the past three years after he has undergone major heart and lung surgery.

“I want to honour my Dad and raise money in memory of my grandparents. I would also like to raise money in memory of my boyfriend’s Grandad, who was like a Grandad to me. I want to thank the hospitals for everything they do for thousands of patients each year.

“My Dad is doing much better now but will never truly recover from his operations so I’m doing this because he can’t. I couldn’t think of a better way to say thank you as I’ll be forever grateful for the care they provided my family and for saving my Dad’s life.

“Thank you to all the NHS staff across Nottingham. You are truly remarkable and I will always appreciate everything that you’ve ever done, not just for my family but for others too.”

Charley is just one of our incredible fundraisers who ran for Nottingham Hospitals Charity at the Robin Hood Half Marathon.

Bekki ran the Nottingham Half Marathon to raise funds for a charity my family and I set up in my son's name. The Campbell Burns Metabolic Trust was founded in May 2012 after my boy was diagnosed with a severe, life-limiting metabolic condition. Campbell was a strong little boy but sadly couldn't outrun his illness - he died at the age of 8 months in September 2012. It was, and still is incredibly hard to deal with, but the charity we set up does so much for families dealing with metabolic conditions, and we're so proud that his name is a force for good. The Trust gives grants to families to help them buy essential kitchen equipment, cover the cost of taking their child to hospital, or go on a fun family day out. 

I often think of Campbell on my long runs - I certainly thought of him at miles 11 and 12 around Nottingham, with the end of the 2019 race in sight! To be given a Golden Ticket as I crossed the finish line was, I think, a sign - to stay strong, to keep running, to keep the charity going, and to keep helping families dealing with metabolic conditions. I'm sure Team Campbell will have a presence at the Robin Hood Half for many years to come.

This year’s Robin Hood Half Marathon is the first race I have ever entered, and is something I never thought would be possible. I was in a wheelchair for 20 years from the age of 8 due to an autoimmune condition. When I recovered, I started to run. I loved it because it was something that I had never thought would be possible. Unfortunately after a few months of running I had to stop due to a chronic painful injury in both knees caused by muscle weakness as a result of my illness. The physio told me I would never be able to run, but I didn’t let that stop my dream! I worked for two years on strength training and over time I was able to start running again. I am really slow but I don’t care – I’m just so happy to be able to run!

I am running for Equation, a Nottinghamshire domestic abuse prevention charity. 1 in 4 women will experience abuse and I have been in an abusive relationship so I understand how difficult it can be to reach out for support.

Domestic abuse rates increased dramatically over lockdown so it is vital that charities such as Equation get enough support to continue helping women and men who are experiencing abuse.