North Devon Road Runners Paul Bisset, Ian MacBeth and Bradworthy runner Kirsty Slade have secured places in the London Marathon and will be running in aid of the hospital charity “Over and Above.

Paul has run the London Marathon several times and enjoys the challenge. He said “I have run for North Devon Road Runners for the past 2 years and I feel the London Marathon would be a great achievement and it would enable me to reach another personal goal.  I received the Over and Above ballot place and had the privilege to visit the Special Care Baby Unit – it is an amazing place and I feel very proud to be supporting the unit while running this year’s marathon.”

Ian has been a member of North Devon Road Runners for the past 2 years and has run several marathons before but this is his first London marathon and he is very excited to take part.  Ian said “I was lucky enough to get a club ballot place for the Virgin London Marathon through my local running club, the North Devon Road Runners.  I decided that as I was doing the London Marathon I would like to support a local charity that my family have previously raised money for.  Ian works for Boden Fire Group and has organised a Charity Car Wash, scrumptious cakes and refreshments in aid of SCBU on Sunday 20 March from 8am – 4pm at Boden Fire and Security Offices, Unit B1 Woodside Court, Roundswell Business Park, Barnstaple, EX31 3TJ.

The money raised by Paul and Ian will be used to provide specialist equipment to care for premature and sick new born babies treated at North Devon District Hospital.   Paul and Ian have visited the Special Care Baby Unit and Paul said “I went to see these little babies in their incubators recently.   They are so little and fit into a palm of a hand.  These guys need the best chance with better equipment, so please give generously.”

Kirsty will be running in aid of the new Seamoor Chemotherapy & Day Treatment Unit at the North Devon District Hospital.  Kirsty said “I lost my Dad in 1999 to Leukaemia, and I have always wanted to give something back to the hospital that treated him so I decided to run the London Marathon in his memory and raise some much needed funds for our local hospital. I know this is going to be incredibly tough but I am so excited about taking on the challenge.”

Paul, Ian and Kirsty will run a phenomenal 26.2 miles on the Virgin London Marathon on Sunday 24^th April, and are looking forward to being motivated along the way by the crowds and lots of other fundraisers.  Incredibly, Virgin London marathon is the largest annual fundraising event on the planet – so far runners have raised over £700 million for good causes since the race began in 1981.

To help Paul, Ian and Kirsty keep motived please give as much as you can.   All the proceeds from their marathons will go direct to their nominated areas – the Special Care Baby Unit and the Seamoor Unit.

Paul Bisset:  https://www.justgiving.com/Paul-Bisset/

Ian MacBeth:   https://www.justgiving.com/Ian-Macbeth2/

Kirsty Slade:   https://www.justgiving.com/Kirsty-Slade1/

Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “Our hospital charity “Over and Above” is delighted that Paul, Ian and Kirsty are running for us.  They are very enthusiastic about their fundraising and they can’t wait to take part in the London Marathon to support us.  I know they will have an amazing time.”

NORTH DEVON District Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit has been awarded with a grant from the Bliss Baby Charter Grants Fund for a phenomenal £10,000 towards neo natal equipment.

The grant has enabled the Unit to purchase five specialist breast pumps, a variety of developmental care aids, gel cushions, baby soothers and some toys for siblings to play with while their parents are caring for their new baby on the Unit.

Deputy Ward Manager & Senior Staff Nurse Charlotte Woollacott said “We are delighted to receive the Bliss grant.  It has meant that we have been able to purchase some additional breast pumps which our mothers find easy to use and will help us to provide the very best care we can.”

Two of the breast pumps will be loaned to new mums to borrow for home expression while their babies are being treated in the unit.   Because Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust covers a wide geographic location of 950 square miles, travel is difficult for some parents to make frequent trips to the hospital.   Loaning mums with a breast pump means they can express their milk regularly so they can give their baby the very best start in their life.

The equipment needed was identified by the Special Care Baby Unit neonatal staff and parents.

Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “It is important to the hospital that we give our mothers and their families the very best care and support we can during an emotional and stressful time.  The Bliss grant of £10,000 has helped us to raise £90,000 towards our £250,000 target to support our sickest and most vulnerable babies being treated at North Devon District Hospital.  It is the support by local people in North Devon and grants such as Bliss that we will be able to provide our SCBU unit with equipment “Over and Above” what the NHS can provide.”

Local Co-operative Supermarket at Pottington Industrial Estate has raised a phenomenal £2,360 for the Special Care Baby Unit Appeal, taking their magnificent total to £4,530 over the past two years.

Co-op Manager Nigel Price said “The team have organised lots of fundraising activities including a quiz, book sales, Nissan Garage gave a donation and the amazing support of our customers.  Our customers have been fabulous”.

Deputy SCBU Ward Manager Charlotte Woollacott cares for our babies on the Unit and said “This incredible amount of money will help us purchase much needed equipment for our Special Care Baby Unit to care for all the vulnerable babies that we treat on the unit.”

L-R:  Fundraiser Julie Whitton, Co-op Manager Nigel Price, Co-op Asst Simon Tout, and Yvonne Lovelock and in front Kerry Bailey

The Park Community School organised a School Concert and raised an amazing £400 for the Special Care Baby Unit Appeal. The money raised from the concert by these talented students will enable us purchase much needed equipment for the Special Care Baby Unit.

Head of Music, Matthew Street, organised the event in aid of the SCBU Appeal as his wife is due to give birth to twins in the coming months. We wish them both the very best for the future.

L-R Ryan Adamson (music technician), Year 11 students Alfie Stone, Alison Bell and Jasmin Husband, Lorraine Gutteridge (music teacher), Julie Whitton (Over and Above fundraising officer) and Matthew Street (Head of Music)

The Caroline Thorpe Ward has received an amazing £600, which was raised by Steven Bailey and the Rolle Quay Inn from a fishing event, organised in memory of Katie Gammon, aged 17, who sadly passed away from Cystic Fibrosis in August 2015.

The money will be used to support children with cystic fibrosis that are treated on the children’s Caroline Thorpe Ward. Over and Above hospital charity Fundraiser Julie Whitton said “This money will be a great help, and will enable us to purchase equipment to support our young patients over and above what the NHS can provide”.

If you would like to support the hospital charity “Over and Above” and have any events and fundraising ideas planned for 2016 please contact the fundraising team on 01271 311772 or email ndht.charity@nhs.net

Photograph: Play Worker Fran Greenaway, Steven Bailey’s daughter Marta Nowak and Staff Nurse Jess Willis.