Shropshire lawyers raise over £1,000 for hospital garden with marathon effort
A pair of lawyers at a Shropshire practice have raised over £1,000 for a rehabilitation garden at a Shropshire hospital after completing a half-marathon in London.
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Dawn Humphries, head of the personal injury team at Lanyon Bowdler in Shrewsbury, and Debbie Brooks, the firm’s HR manager, completed the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday, April 6, in support of Horatio’s Garden at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital in Oswestry.
The pair managed to raise more than £1,300, placing them in the top 15% of fundraisers from the 30,000 people who ran the race.
“It was an absolutely amazing race - an emotional, life-affirming experience, with incredible support from spectators all around the route,” said Dawn.
“The weather was very warm and sunny, which meant the running was pretty brutal, and as I crossed the line I said I would never run a half marathon again.
“Of course, it took me less than a day to sign up for my next challenge and I have also pre-registered to run the London Landmarks Half Marathon again next year!”
The money raised will be donated to Horatio’s Garden MIdlands, which was opened in 2019 at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital in memory of Horatio Chapple, who died aged just 17 during a school expedition to Svalbard in the Arctic in 2011.
The garden, one of nine similar sites across the country run by the Horatio's Garden charity, provides people facing life-changing injuries and long stays in hospital with outdoor space for "reflection and adjustment".
Research conducted by the charity shows that 100% of people with spinal injuries see an improvement in their wellbeing as a result of the garden, with 95% reporting that the gardens have improved their mental health.
Dawn ran the London Landmarks Half Marathon for the first time back in 2018, also in support of the Horatio's Garden project.
“I have watched the garden grow over the years into a wonderful sanctuary for patients who really benefit from having a beautiful outdoor space to escape to during their rehabilitation from a spinal injury," she added.
“I would like to thank everyone who gave so generously to fund the continuous maintenance and development of such an important amenity which is hugely valued by patients at the RJAH.”
