Encouraged by their friend John Hodgson - who has close links to the Charity - and spurred on by Joseph’s desire to take on the new challenge of a half marathon, the family have claimed their Team ARHC vests and are now in training for the 5 March event.
Dr Wilson, who is a leading Consultant Clinical Oncologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital, was just one of the VIPs to visit the new state-of-the-art Hospice during the fortnight of Open Days which took place before the facility opened on 14 November 2016. Having cared for and referred many cancer patients since he joined the Hospital in 1993, he was very interested to see Arthur Rank Hospice’s new home.
He says of his visit: “I was thrilled to be shown round the new building which feels so spacious in comparison to the old site. I was particularly impressed by the attention to details and the ‘normality’ of the place. The Arthur Rank has been so special because of its staff and the loving care they provided for their patients over the years. With the integration of these living stones into the building, the new ARHC will be an enormous resource to our local community. My family in the past has been touched by the support to those we have known and as a family we are pleased to do something to help support the future of care in Cambridgeshire for those living with a life limiting illness”
His son, Joseph, also a hospital doctor, was keen to take up the 13.1 mile challenge, so - with his mother and father already signed up via the ballot – they approached Arthur Rank Hospice, proposing he take a Charity place and all three of them join together as a team for the Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon. ‘The Wilson Trio’ now have matching Team ARHC vests, a training plan for the new year and are looking forward to running the half marathon together as a family.
The group effort extends still further to John Hodgson (effectively the fourth team member!) who has supported the Hospice for many years and will be championing the family’s efforts. He explains: “I’ve been supporting Arthur Rank Hospice Charity now for nine years, ever since my sister in law Betty Hodgson received their wonderful care. We’ve held three Charity Golf Days at the Gog Magog Club (which is of course now opposite the new Hospice), I’ve done a ‘Fire Walk Challenge’ and produced the ‘Food for Thought Recipe Book’. With the Wilson family taking on the Cambridge Half as ‘The Wilson Trio’ and me backing them up for fundraising support, my hope is that – along with sales of the second edition of the recipe book due out at the end of March - we’ll tip the fundraising over the £50,000 mark!”
Amy Bidwell, Challenges & Community Fundraiser for the Arthur Rank Hospice Charity, adds: “We’re thrilled that the Wilson family will be taking part in the Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon as part of Team ARHC in their matching vests, and that long-time supporter John Hodgson has decided to take up the mantle of championing their cause. It’s wonderful to see such a great team effort and we’d welcome other families – or even groups of friends or colleagues – to take part. It will be interesting to see if others follow ‘The Wilson Trio’ example by signing up two or three team members to do the training and running, then having one or two other ‘team members’ offering to support by championing the fundraising side of things. Either way we have some places still available for the event, so please get in touch if you’d like to take part either as a team or an individual.”
To talk to Arthur Rank Hospice Charity about taking part in the Saucony Cambridge Half Marathon for Team ARHC please call Amy Bidwell on 01223 675883 Monday – Thursday 9.30 – 2.30pm or email amy.bidwell@arhc.org.uk.
To support ‘The Wilson Trio’ and their fundraising efforts – or to find out more – please visit their online fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thewilsontrio or call ‘The Wilson Trio’s fourth team member and campaign manager, John Hodgson to find out more on 07973 469120.
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