IN BRIEF
MARATHON RUNNERS
RAISE VITAL FUNDS FOR
CLAIRE HOUSE FREEMASONS MAKE IT A
SPECIAL DAY FOR THOSE
IN CARE
The London Marathon is one of the biggest runs in the
world and Claire House Children’s Hospice has been
fortunate to have runners take part for a number of
years. Whilst Easter may seem a distant memory to some, the
residents at Tithebarn are still talking about the recent
visit by Cheshire Freemasons and partners who delivered
more than 100 Eggs in time for their Easter celebrations.
The efforts of all the Claire House 2019 runners has seen more than
£40,000 raised for the hospice, with donations still coming over the
next month. This year, there were four runners taking part who were
either from a Claire House family or were friends of said families.
For them, running for the hospice was so personal that it not only
helped with their training but it made crossing the iconic finishing
line even more rewarding. Two of the Claire House staff were lucky
enough to get ballot places this year. Seasoned marathon runner and
Claire House CEO, David Pastor, was not phased and managed to
finished the 26.2 mile race in a fantastic 2 hours 53 minutes. First
time marathoner and Claire House Partnerships Manager, Jessica
Campbell, had been nervous in the build-up but that never stopped
her and she crossed the finish line in 4hours 50minutes. Among the 18
runners for Claire House, there was Birkenhead School’s Headmaster,
Paul Vicars, who has raised over £8,000 for Claire House. Speaking
about the experience, Paul said: “The whole experience has been
humbling, from how little I knew before undertaking the challenge
(and still do….), to the staggering support of the School community
and beyond for Claire House. There is no doubt that this very special
charity was foremost in my mind during the second half of the run,
and certainly kept me going during the last few, somewhat slow
miles. I would like to congratulate all of the Claire House runners,
whose hard work and effort has helped raised invaluable funds, so
that Claire House can continue to make a difference to so many
children and families within the region and beyond.” The delegation, all dressed in full masonic regalia, were an impressive
sight as they entered the home, laden with the chocolate gifts and
Lawrence Scott and John Stallard, the President and Chairman of the
Friends of Tithebarn were on hand to meet the team as too were Staff
and Residents.
To put the runners’ amazing efforts into perspective, the £40,000
raised could pay for nearly five days of care and support for children
and families at Claire House. If you want to be part of the Claire
House London Marathon team for next year, visit
www.clairehouse.org.uk.
A fun afternoon followed as residents enjoyed the egg they fancied the
most, whilst the staff conducted an informative and eye-opening tour
of the home including the award- winning dementia unit. The visit
had been planned for some time and masons from across the Wirral
were asked to donate Easter eggs, which they did in abundance.
Cheshire Freemasons, Jeff Cunningham thanked everyone for the
kindness shown during the visit and said he was looking forward to
the forthcoming summer fête – always well supported by the local
community.
The Tithebarn is situated a short distance from Crosby and has a full
range of amenities, operating a traditional ‘hotel’ style of care where
residents share communal facilities.
The home is owned by the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution
Care Company (RMBI) and cares for older Freemasons, their families
and people in the wider community. They operate 18 care homes in
England and Wales and have been supporting older people for over
170 years.
Whether people need residential or nursing care, specialist dementia
support or day services, RMBI Care Co. cares for them professionally
and kindly. RMBI Care Co. is part of the Masonic Charitable
Foundation – a new charity for Freemasons, for families, for everyone.
wirrallife.com 9