Marie Curie Cancer Care representatives pictured during their recent partnership with Tesco
As the summer progresses, thousands of people are giving their time, their money or their skills to raise funds for their particular choice of charity. Near my home in Yorkshire is a small airfield and, at this time of year, every weekend sees brave souls hurling themselves out of aeroplanes in their attempts to further their charitible cause. I am happy to walk, run, sew or cook but I am not sure I have the guts to parachute -even attached to handsome hunk – or the strength to climb mountains!
That brings me to Richard Parks (on both counts!). Richard played rugby for Wales and retired two years ago after a shoulder injury. In December 2010 he began a remarkable challenge. Called The 737, it required him to climb to the summit of the world’s 7 highest mountains and reach the 3 poles in 7 months – Everest counts as a pole. Today he reached the last summit – Elbrus in Russia – in an extraordinary time of 6 months, 11 days, 7 hours and 53 minutes. Richard’s plan is to raise £1 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care. People he refers to as “Great Britons” have joined him at various points of his challenge. Steve Williams – the rower who won two olympic gold medals in Athens and Beijing – was his companion for Everest and, for Kilimanjaro, Marie Curie Nurse Janet Stuart from Barry in Wales was his fellow climber.
Richard is a fervent supporter of Marie Curie Cancer Care and says that he “has seen and heard the difference that the charity makes to the lives of terminally ill people and their families”. I have seen it too and would definitely place all Marie Curie and Macmillan cancer nurses among the greatest of Britons. The nursing and palliative care given by these nurses, to enable a terminally ill patient to remain at home for the end of life, takes a very special kind of person. At a time when the whole family is distraught, these specially trained nurses also give emotional support to the whole family.
Marie Curie Cancer Care also carries out research into palliative and end of life care and I really hope Richard’s amazing feat will raise his goal of £1 million. If you would like to donate please log on to www.justgiving.com/richardparks737challenge
On a more down-to-earth topic – but for just as good a cause – the Simple range of products has produced a limited edition of face wipes. As you go about your daily life and find yourself in a shop which sells Simple products, may I suggest you buy a packet of these wipes. Macmillan are receiving 10p for each pack sold and hope to raise £25,000 to go towards their nurses and the general work of the charity.
The work of these nurses in hospices and home nursing care means that terminally ill people – with a myriad of different diseases, not just cancer – have a choice as to where to end their lives.
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