Saint Catherine’s launches Festive 5K and Christmas appeal

Saint Catherine’s launches Festive 5K and Christmas appeal

Saint Catherine’s has launched its Christmas appeal for 2022 – with lots of ways to help make a difference this festive season.

The charity is offering supporters the following ways to help raise much-needed funds to ensure patients and families receive the care they need:

• Festive 5K event – Sunday 11 December, 10am, North Yorkshire Water Park, Wykeham.
• Carols by Candlelight – Wednesday 14 December, 6pm, St Mary’s Parish Church, Scarborough.
• Christmas cards and calendars – on sale now in their 12 charity shops and online at www.saintcatherines.org.uk/online-shop/
• Virtual gifts – buy the gift of care this Christmas www.saintcatherines.org.uk/virtual-gifts/
• Christmas appeal by post to regular supporters. You can order extra packs by emailing fundraising@saintcatherines.org.uk

The main fundraising event will be the Festive 5K, which is open to everyone and registration is free online at www.saintcatherines.org.uk/event/festive-5k

The course is a double circuit round the beautiful lake at North Yorkshire Water Park. The route is accessible to all and dogs are welcome on a lead. People are welcome to don their finest festive fancy dress or Christmas jumper and run, jog or walk the route.

The event will coincide with a bumper Christmas market at the water park, with lots of stalls, food and drink on offer. There will also be a reduced rate of £8 for any Festive 5K entrants who would like to ride the zipline.

Participants are asked to register in advance at www.saintcatherines.org.uk/event/festive-5k and there is an option to make a donation or raise money in sponsorship. Santa suits will be on sale at our 12 charity shops across Scarborough, Whitby, Ryedale, Filey, Hunmanby, Bridlington and Driffield.

Tracy Calcraft, fundraising and marketing director, said: “As the festive season approaches, we are inviting everyone to join us to have fun and help raise essential funds so we can continue to care for our patients and families 24/7, 365 days a year including Christmas Day.

“Our festive themes this year are ‘shop, celebrate and gather’, so there is something for everyone who would like to get involved and help us to help others.”

Supporter Justine Greenwood, of Seamer, who features in the hospice’s Christmas appeal, lost her husband James in March 2021 following a six-year battle with cancer.

James was just 38 years old when he passed away at the in-patient unit at Saint Catherine’s and Justine was 34.

Justine said: “The care was just amazing. The kids could come and go and his parents were able to see him, as well as his sisters. We were looked after as family. It made me feel like I could be the wife I wanted to be for James in his last few days.”

Every pound makes a difference this Christmas, for example:

• £20 could pay for a patient’s Christmas dinner, drinks and food for the day
• £50 could pay for a therapy session for a patient
• £75 could pay for bereavement counselling for a patient’s loved ones.

More details about the hospice’s Christmas programme will be posted on social media throughout November and December. If you would like more information, please email fundraising@saintcatherines.org.uk or call (01723) 378406.