Francesco Rastrelli
My Story
Running a marathon is one of those experiences that have been at the bottom of my bucket list for a while, and I’m happy to say next April 21st I’ll finally cross it off: the London Marathon, no less!
Many times I’ve heard running is a personal voyage of discovery and healing, so I’ve decided to run in memory of my grandma Maria.
This time two years ago my family and I were lost, with our Grandma in intensive care, alone.
While I attempt to process those anguished and confused times, I cannot stop thinking that even though something is inevitable, having compassionate and grateful people by your side guiding you and comforting you, makes all the difference.
This is exactly what caregivers at ‘Mary Ann Evans Hospice’ do on a daily basis. People who strive to offer physical, emotional, social and spiritual support to those who have a life limiting illness, and their families.
If you wish, please consider donating to ‘Mary Ann Evans Hospice’ this year, so they can continue sparking some light, even in the darkest of times.
Thank you dearly for your kindness and generosity
Grazie, Francesco
Mary Ann Evans Hospice
Mary Ann Evans Hospice is a local charity working with families providing palliative care and bereavement support. As a community based hospice, we provide our care directly into the homes of patients allowing them to be with their friends and family until the end of their life.
All our services are free for our patients and their families or carers, however, there is a significant cost involved in providing the wide range of care. It costs around £2.5 million a year to run Mary Ann but we receive less than 30% of our funding from the NHS and Commissioners. This means we rely on donations and fundraising to cover over £1.8 million per year. That is £5000 we need to raise every single day. The support we receive from the local communities makes a huge difference and enables us to continue to provide exceptional care and support for our patients and their families.
The London Marathon
The London Marathon has become an annual, inspiring and colourful fixture in the world’s sporting calendar since the inaugural race on 29 March 1981: a celebration of fun, fundraising and fancy dress.
Over the years more than a million people have completed the 26.2-mile course – which runs from Blackheath to The Mall, with a spectacular finish in front of Buckingham Palace, showcasing the very best that the capital city has to offer.
What’s more, these participants have raised over a billion pounds for charity and there have been countless amazing tales of human achievement throughout the event’s history – living up to its aim of helping participants ‘to have fun, and provide some happiness and sense of achievement in a troubled world’.