Last updated at 11:47, Wednesday, 13 March 2013

THE Evening Mail’s Reaching Out campaign for St Mary’s Hospice has made an impressive start – all thanks to the generosity of readers.

• Related article: Vocal support brings in funds for Ulverston hospice
• Related article: Ulverston hospice staff helped grant ill dad’s dying wish
• Related article: Ulverston hospice vehicles ‘vital to patients and carers’
• Related article: Ailing van threatens Ulverston charity delivery work
• Related article: Therapist's Ulverston hospice plea
• Related article: Call for support to replace Ulverston hospice fleet
• Related article: Ulverston hospice campaign can make difference
• Related article: Campaign to replace ageing Ulverston hospice vehicle fleet
• Related article: Families appreciate Ulverston hospice home care staff

The campaign, to help replace a fleet of seven ageing vehicles relied on by hospice staff and volunteers, has also benefited from extraordinary acts of personal kindness.

An anonymous donation of £1,000 was recently dropped of at the Evening Mail’s Abbey Road office.

The donations, large and small, take the total raised to £4,555.

Nigel Wood, the man whose nighttime “stroll” around Greater Manchester saw him travel the equivalent of more than two marathons, said he was pleased to be able to contribute to such a worthy cause.

He finished 15th out of more than 200 people starting the event earlier this month, with a time of 17 hours 44 minutes and 47 seconds.

The Barrow resident has supported the hospice since his mother was cared for by the staff there.

He said he was pleased to have finished the route in such a good time.

He added: “The last 10 miles were the most difficult and painful, but giving up was never an option.

“At the end I had been awake for some 30 hours – along with my wife who gave me tremendous support by being at each checkpoint along the way, walking about 10 to 15 miles with me, giving first aid for blisters and aching legs and ensuring I had plenty of food and drink.”

His journey took him from the Manchester University campus to the airport and through Stockport before heading back to the city centre to set off on the northern loop that took him through Prestwich, Kearsley and Salford.

To find out more about the campaign and Nigel’s fundraising efforts, visit www.justgiving.com/teams/reaching-out for the Reaching Out team page.

You can donate online or at the Evening Mail’s Abbey Road office in Barrow.

If you want to get involved or get your Reaching Out fundraiser mentioned in the paper, contact reporter Paul Berentzen at paul.berentzen@nwemail.co.uk or on 01229 580045.

First published at 16:08, Monday, 11 March 2013
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk