Alice Bradbury, who was born in Litton, now lives in Chesterfield with her husband Michael and two boys, Freddie aged 6, and Charlie aged 2. Alice is taking on the Manchester Marathon on 16th April to raise money for Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust.
Alice says: ‘I never thought I had a hobby but I guess running is it now… which is ironic because I always hated PE at school! If I ever saw someone running early morning, in the rain, cold, or just running in general I thought they were crackers – but now I get it!
‘Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust has become a charity very close to my heart due to my one-in-a-million friend, Lynne. The hospice helped Lynne throughout her cancer battle. She had various complementary therapy treatments to help her with the pain and discomfort caused by her illness, and her husband, Chris, was able to access counselling to help him be in the best place to support her. The hospice generally supported her and her family when they needed it most.
‘Lynne had many talents; each one she was amazing at! She put these talents to good use to help fundraise
for Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust such as: selling her handmade face masks during the pandemic, baking her amazing cakes and numerous Jingle Bell Jogs! I don’t have many talents hence why I have to do crazy things, such as skydiving and marathons to raise money for this amazing cause!
‘The drive inside me to fundraise is my way of coping with the loss of lovely Lynne. She was my wise words when I needed them, always had the answer, and was always there, always full of positivity and sunshine, always brave, and always proud of her boys!
‘We have the love of two sons in common and she always just got it. She was a rare find – someone so genuine and so kind with nothing but support and love for people. She inspired me to be better and I want to continue to support the hospice, which is just such a fantastic place, and which Lynne appreciated so much!’
In 2022 Alice took the plunge of a 15,000m high skydive with Lynne’s eldest son, Ollie.
Alice explains: ‘We were supported from the ground by Chris; Lynne’s youngest son, Alex, and her lovely sister, brother-in-law, and brother. Something like this is completely out of my comfort zone, so it was a huge challenge for me. I hate rides, hate heights, and don’t really like airplanes!
‘However, it was incredible and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat! I’m not sure I would have got on the plane without Ollie by my side and the fact it was all for Lynne. The money that we raised for Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust makes it all worth it!’
Alice and Ollie raised an incredible £2,130 for the hospice, and this money has already provided vital, high-quality care for local people affected by life-limiting illness in the High Peak and North Derbyshire.
Alice says: ‘There’s not much that can beat a skydive I don’t think… so, I thought I needed to work a bit harder this time, and truly challenge myself, hence the marathon idea!
‘Squeezing in the miles with two young children, work and general life is a task in itself and couldn’t be done without the support of Michael, my mum and dad enabling me to plod around Chesterfield for hours! I just want to raise as much money as I possibly can for Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust, and I encourage everyone who can to on their own fundraising challenge for this fantastic local charity.’
Can you take on the challenge and run a Marathon in aid of Blythe House Hospicecare and Helen’s Trust
