She can’t wait to take on the bubbles on the 5K riverside route once again and explains why she thinks it’s a great event for the local community:
“It’s an experience I’d never had before: the bubbles make it really fun, especially the green ones because they seem to grow bigger than the rest of them. It’s well set up, so it doesn’t seem like a great distance before you get to the next bubble station. 5K is a really good distance for the whole family – at one point I thought my little three-year-old had had enough, but then she saw the next lot of bubbles and off she went! You get all these people cheering you on and there’s a really great sense of community spirit. I’d totally recommend it!”
She explains why this year will be extra special for her family:
“Just before Christmas, we used the Hospice at Home service for my Mum’s life-long partner – Graham Baxter, he was quite a well-known character in Brampton. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour and it was just so quick. It was hard going for my Mum – she didn’t have much time to get set up. Towards the end though, we were able to get some carers in and then in the last week we had Hospice at Home, and Mum was able to get some sleep".
“The support the nurses gave us was invaluable – they were there for her as well as him, all of us really. The whole week before he died was very touch and go, and we kept thinking ‘is today the day’, but the Hospice at Home nurse said to us “these are the changes you can expect”, so we knew what was coming. On the day he died she told his daughter not to go home. It was important to know that that time was getting closer. He died at midnight and she stayed with us to make sure we were all alright – she didn’t have to do that, but she wanted to. It took all that stress out of that final day. The nurses became part of our family really".
“When Graham’s funeral came around we raised £900 from the collection. We didn’t know the Hospice existed before this happened and had no idea that it was funded by the community, but Arthur Rank Hospice is a life-long charity for us now".
Arthur Rank Hospice provides vital care to thousands of people who need its specialist end-of-life care at the Hospice in Cambridge and in patient’s own homes through the Arthur Rank Community team. The Hospice needs to secure £7.45 million every year to deliver our services free of charge to patients and their families. About half of this from statutory sources and the remainder raised thanks to the wider local community who are motivated to ensure that the work of the hospice continues.
Sarah adds: “We’ve done various bits for the Hospice before and we watched the Hospice being built, so Bubble Rush was perfect event for us because it was local and really fun. It will still be really fun this year but it will be different for us this time – it will mean more - because we know where the money’s going.
“The first year just me and my daughter did it; then last year we got my brother and his wife and my niece, their school friends, my two daughters and my husband to take part! They thought it was brilliant and have all signed up again for this year.”
Teams of up to 10 family, friends and colleagues can sign up together, but individuals are welcome too and can expect a bubbly (!) welcome. Five foam stations in yellow, green, blue, pink and white whoosh out a fantastic 30 cubic metres of colourful foam per minute and amaze your senses as you run, jog, walk, dance, hop, wheel or push-chair around the 5km (2.5km lapped) course. ‘Bubblers’ can accessorise with colourful tutus, sunglasses, neon headbands, lei flower necklaces and sun visors either on the day or when they make their booking.
Due to unprecedented demand last year, Arthur Rank Hospice has opened an earlier wave at 10.30am, with three to follow at 12 noon, 1.30pm and 3.00pm and registrations for each will be closed off as they fill up. Early bird prices of £17.50 for adults and £7.50 for children are limited to the first 500 registrations, after which prices will increase to £20.00 for adults and £10.00 for children. Registration fee includes a t-shirt, medal and a bottle of water.
To register, visit www.arhc.org.uk/bubble-rush-registration.asp or call Arthur Rank Hospice’s fundraising office on 01223 675888. For information on sponsorship and volunteering opportunities, please contact the Hospice’s Events Team on 01223 675891.
Image: Daughters Caitlin and Chloe, Sarah, husband John and niece Abigail