This is John, who’s face might be familiar to you! John is our Retail District Support Manager and has worked her at the Hospice for 11 years, starting as a Relief Shop Manager.
In 9 weeks time, 52 year old John will be taking to the streets of the capital to complete his 2nd London Marathon in aid of Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice after first completing the epic run back in 2012.
John signed up to take part in the famous race for a second time after gaining a new found appreciation for the Hospice during the pandemic, after the closure of our charity shops saw him redeployed to our Inpatient Unit reception.
“I’ve worked here for 11 years and I love the Hospice, I’ve always been very passionate about what we do but it was working on our Inpatient Unit that it really hit home how special a place it is.
“I was working on the reception on the Inpatient Unit, answering calls and greeting relatives during the height of the pandemic and it just became so clear why our clinical staff are so often referred to as ‘angels’.
“They were working through the worst time ever, I don’t know how they do it, and so despite working full time for the Hospice, I wanted to give something back.”
John, who’s a proud St Mary’s ambassador wherever he goes, has also experienced first-hand the incredible care and support of the Hospice.
“My uncle passed away at the Hospice and they allowed him to continue his family traditions during his stay. He used to do an Easter egg hunt with his 2 grandchildren every year and so whilst he was on the Inpatient Unit, the nurses hid eggs in the garden and wheeled his bed outside so that he could still continue their annual Easter celebrations.”
John’s dedication to the Hospice doesn’t stop at just taking part in his iconic race, he’s also missing his grandson Alfie’s 1st birthday celebrations to complete the London marathon and raise essential funds for Birmingham St Mary’s.
If you’re a regular in our charity shops and you see John around, be sure to wish him lots of luck for his 26mile challenge this October. Or, if you want to sponsor him and help us continue providing care and support to local people living with life limiting illnesses and their families, you can do so at: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/johnridd3
