Family and friends go the extra mile raising thousands of pounds for Sue Ryder

Family, friends, and colleagues of Susan Palmer from Cambourne took on one of four routes around Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire in her honour, followed by a fun day at The Cambourne Town Football Club’s Dugout sports pavilion including a BBQ, cake stall, raffle, and auction, plus an inflatable bouncy castle and helter-skelter.

Susan was cared for by staff at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice in Moggerhanger before she died in September 2023, after being diagnosed with a rare brain condition. The money raised from the event will help Sue Ryder continue to be there for patients and their families when they need it most.

“We wanted to do something whereby friends and family could get together to remember Susan and raise money to thank Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice for the care and support she and her family received,” said Susan’s partner Eddie who organised the event along with several of Susan’s closest friends in Cambourne.

“Susan spent two weeks being cared for by the wonderful staff at the hospice. As well as the excellent support she received, they provided an amazing level of support for her family and friends. I was able to stay with her 24/7, sleeping in the room beside her on a pop-up bed. That’s the type of thing that makes a hospice facility so special.

"We hope that money raised will mean that the charity can continue to be there for other people – that’s what Susan would have wanted too,” Eddie added.

The charity challenge included a 39-mile return cycle to the hospice in Moggerhanger, where participants were met by hospice staff and had the chance to purchase cake and refreshments, which added to the fundraising total. There was also a 26-mile return cycle loop to Potton to choose from, a nine-mile Cambourne local cycle (Susan's lunchtime loop), and a five-mile walk around Cambourne (although several chose to run it).

“Susan and I met during lockdown and connected through our shared passion for cycling. Susan was outgoing, gregarious, determined, loving, and generally fun to be with. First and foremost, though, she was a wonderful mother, dedicated to her children.

"She was one of life’s ‘givers’, the sort who would willingly volunteer her time for others, hence spending several years as a scout leader, two of whom were there on the day to run the BBQ, a role she had often fulfilled. She was just a generally all-round nice person, who people loved having as a friend or work colleague.

“I know this is the kind of challenge Susan would have taken on herself if our roles had been reversed – she would definitely have been doing the whole 39 miles!” Eddie shared.

“We would like to thank everyone who took part in the challenge or who came along to support us. I would particularly like to extend my appreciation to Susan’s place of work, Domino Printing, who very generously paid for all the food for the BBQ and the inflatables, which meant that every penny we raised could go directly to the hospice.

"Thanks too to the businesses who donated the raffle prizes: Impact Furniture; Xtreme360 trampoline park; The Beauty Cabin; Meraki Salon; and Morrisons. Especial thanks go to Pete and Leigh who gifted three nights at Alderwood Lodges, which we auctioned off, raising £300 in the process.

"Also, a big thank you to Mel and the team at the Dugout for providing us access to such an amazing venue for the event as well as allowing us to use their website for the registrations.”

“We have been blown away by everyone’s generosity and are delighted to have been able to raise around £3,500 through ticket sales and at our post-ride event to help Sue Ryder. We still have some donations coming in, so we expect to top this figure .” Eddie added.

Lewis Kaler, Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice said: “We can’t thank Eddie and Susan’s family and friends enough for their incredible support. The miles they have gone and the incredible amount of money they have raised means so much to us and will go a long way in supporting our vital palliative and bereavement support services so that we can continue to be there when it matters.”

There’s still time to donate to their fundraising page, visit: Eddie Thorne is fundraising for Sue Ryder (justgiving.com)