"So many of my colleagues have been touched by the work the hospice does, we were determined to complete the Midnight Memories Walk and to raise as much money as we possibly could in the proces"
Rachel Heyes, of Love Energy Savings
THIS group is made for walking - after they raised more than £1,000 for Bolton Hospice.
The team of fifteen, led by Rachel Heyes, took part in the annual Midnight Memories Walk on Saturday (15th June).
The charitable eight mile trek through the streets of Bolton seeks to raise funds for the town's much-respected end of life care centre.
And Rachel and her pals - who work for Bolton’s Love Energy Savings - dug deep in their fundraising efforts, as their total nears the £1,100 mark
Rachel, a Customer Relationship Manager for the energy switching firm, says all in the team have been touched by the impeccable care the hospice is so renowned for.
The 27-year-old explains: “I’ve personally had three beloved family members who’ve had end of life care at Bolton Hospice.
“My two grandmothers - Elizabeth Baxendale and Joyce Heyes - spent their final hours there while my grandfather Michael Baxendale also passed away at the hospice in 2009.
“Talk to anyone in Bolton, and chances are they’ve got a personal story about how the hospice has helped them.
“And everyone says the same thing - the staff there are simply fantastic.
"The nurses always took time out of their day, particularly when they saw that we were upset, to come over and offer kind words.
“And considering that we’re talking about a place where people go at the end of their lives, I don’t know a single family members who’s had a bad experience there.
“So many of my colleagues have been touched by the work the hospice does, we were determined to complete the Midnight Memories Walk and to raise as much money as we possibly could in the process.”
The 8.2 mille Walk began at 10pm Saturday, and the route went from the Market Place Shopping Centre, along Chorley New Road directly past the hospice, almost to the Beehive roundabout and then back again.
Rachel says they’ve raised around £1,100 so far, through sponsorship forms and a JustGiving page.
Rachel adds: “We’ve figured out that £1,000 is equivalent to around 60 nursing hours or 10 home visits. It’s a small gesture in the grand scheme of things but we want to help in any way we can."
Incredibly, it’s the 13th year the Walk has taken place.
And it’s not the first time Love Energy Savings (LES) has sought to help out.
Earlier this year the firm, headquartered in Burnden, announced Bolton Hospice as their chosen partner charity.
Bolton Hospice, located on Queen Street, needs £4.8m a year to operate - just £1.1m of which comes from government funding
Phil Foster, CEO of LES, says he’s committed to help bridge that funding gap.
He said: “Bolton Hospice is a fantastic local charity that provides incredibly skilled and compassionate care to people with serious illnesses
“It is vital the centre is given the financial support it needs to continue its work, and that’s why we’ve chosen Bolton Hospice as our chosen charity.
“Many of us here at Love Energy Savings have had family members or friends who’ve been directly or indirectly affected by the hospice’s work.
“And we feel we have a responsibility to give them something back. Through a series of planned activities, we hope to raise a significant amount of money.”
