We have been absolutely blown away by the efforts and commitment of our supporter’s to our ’31 in 31′ sponsored challenge. You are amazing!! We have 20 individual ‘31 in 31’ supporters and a number of people from the Binding Site, the ‘Business over Breakfast’ Club and British Networking Organisation (BNI) undertaking a whole variety of challenges, which we will tell you more about when the challenge is finished…. We are also nearing the £7,000 mark with still a week to go!! Wonderful!!!
There are so many challenges we’d love to share with you, but one which was completed yesterday which we were particularly impressed with, was Donna and Matt’s cycle challenge. Here Donna tells their story:
‘6 years ago Matt and I experienced the hardest thing we have ever had to deal with! After going into early labour at 24 weeks, I gave birth to the most precious baby girl and baby boy. They were both rushed off to the neonatal unit where our son spent 3 days before unfortunately passing away and our daughter spent 1 month. It was the hardest time of our lives and looking back I’m not quite sure how we found a way through.
A few months after losing both our babies we came across an amazing charity – Edwards Trust and started attending for counselling. Sometimes we would attend together for sessions and on occasions I would attend by myself. During the last year of counselling my counsellor, Sandra, referred me for complementary therapy and I started to have regular massages with Jane.’
Since then Donna has got involved as a volunteer for Edward’s Trust (part of the FOET group) shaking buckets at supermarkets, helping with mailouts from the office, manning tombolas, but yesterday saw her biggest challenge yet to support Edward’s Trust!
Matt and Donna stepped up to support us by doing the ’31 in 31′ challenge and decided to cycle 31 miles!! – riding to the National Arboretum, where they have a leaf on the Edwards Trust ‘tree of remembrance’, and back. Matt being a fairly regular rider was not worried but Donna on the other hand hadn’t ridden for a while so was not so confident. This was a ride to remember and also, to remember, ‘I am sure our babies will be with us for the whole ride and knowing that we are doing this because of them will see us through.’ (Donna)
So yesterday was the big day! 2 punctures, pouring rain and the ‘muscles in my thighs felt like they were tearing’ (Donna) Family members joined them at the National Arboretum and the Edward’s Trust’s Tree of Remembrance with refreshments and then the heavens opened for the ride home. Hills, cramp, wind against them, soaked to the skin and totally exhausted… epic fundraisers and supporters Donna and Matt made it home in one piece, successful in their amazing ’31 in 31′ challenge.
Huge thanks to Donna and Matt for undertaking this ’31 in 31′ challenge and raising money to enable more families to receive bereavement support that they found so helpful. You are amazing!
More ’31 in 31′ news coming over the next few weeks and here more regular updates on our social media channels. More too in our next edition of The Kite magazine which you can subscribe to receive here.