Marshalls Needed For Bristol Half Marathon

24 July 2014, 16:43 | Updated: 24 July 2014, 16:57

Bristol Half Marathon St Peter's Hospice

St Peter's Hospice is appealing for volunteers to sign up as marshals on their behalf for the upcoming Bristol Half Marathon.

As the local chosen charity for the event, St Peter’s Hospice needs to find 150 volunteers to help out on Sunday 21 September by marshalling the route, handing out water and making sure the runners stay safe. 

So far the charity has secured 50 volunteer marshals for the event but needs to find 100 more in time for September.

Louisa James, events fundraiser at St. Peter’s Hospice said:

“We are so pleased to have been named the local chosen charity at this year’s Bristol Half Marathon, it’s such a prestigious event and it will raise vital funds for our organisation. Lots of people have already signed up to run for us this year but we also need to make sure we provide enough marshals.

Marshalling is a lot of fun and is a great way to get involved in an event even if running is not your thing. Marshals are so important to the running of the event and volunteers who sign up will be doing us a huge favour in donating their time. If we sign up 150 volunteers as marshals it means every penny raised by the event will go towards supporting those with life-limiting illnesses in Bristol.”

As Bristol’s only adult hospice, St Peter’s Hospice cares for more than 2,670 patients each year as well as supporting family members.

All services are provided free of charge but this care costs around £18,000 a day. For around £13,000 of that, the hospice relies on gifts in wills, kind donations and funds generated by the hospice shops.

One person who has experienced the support of the hospice first hand is India Gilling whose mum Jude was cared for by the charity before passing away aged 58 in January 2014. India, 23 from Cotham, is now running the Bristol Half Marathon on behalf of the hospice to say thanks for the care her mum received. She said:

“My mum had cancer for eight years before she passed away in January this year. We really wanted her to be cared for by the hospice and thankfully she was admitted for her final five days where she was looked after by the amazing team of nurses. Everyone there was absolutely incredible and catered to her every need. She was really happy there and I’m so grateful for what they did. When I heard how much it cost to run the hospice every day I couldn’t believe it so now I’m doing everything I can to give back to them.

Myself and two close friends of the family who also knew my mum, will be running the Bristol Half Marathon and we hope to raise around £1500. I’d encourage anyone who is available to sign up to be a marshal for this wonderful charity.”

The 26th Bristol half marathon is taking place on Sunday 21 September and is one of Bristol’s most prestigious sporting events.

If you would like to sign up to be a volunteer marshal please contact Louisa on 01275 391428 or louisa.james@stpetershospice.org. You can also sign up HERE

To sponsor India visit her Justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/India-Lucy-Alice