My Story
In September 2024 a team from the Mid Kent partnership (Maidstone, Swale and Tunbridge Wells Borough Councils, plus at least one hanger on!) will be joining a number of other Public Sector Teams, working with Private sector partners, to undertake the Public Sector Challenge Yorkshire 3 Peaks Challenge. Some of us did the national 3 peaks challenge last year and we are clearly gluttons for punishment as we're back for more pain this year! However, it's worth it to be able to raise money for Cancer Research. All of us have been impacted one way or another by cancer. And we want to come together to support the fight to beat cancer. Georgia’s story I lost my uncle, Bob Hughes, in 2022 after he became ill very quickly with a myeloma, a blood cancer. Sadly, after months of treatment in hospital, he died before he was able to come home. Bob was an amazing man. Bone dry wit, wicked sense of humour, huge social conscience and so interesting. I always enjoyed seeing him and discussing politics, travel, wine, and many other things we were both interested in. He also worked in social housing and he was one of the reasons I decided to start my career in social housing and have stayed working in the not for profit and public sectors ever since. I loved him very much and I miss him greatly. This is a cause very close to my heart and this 3 peaks challenge is something I can do in his memory to help others in the future. Zoe's story My aunt, uncle and cousin all died of cancer over what seemed like a short period of time. My cousin was the same age as me and didn't make it to 50. He was a great uncle and would have loved to see his nephews and niece grow up. The work that cancer research carries out is improving the treatments people receive, we all know people who are currently being treated and I am doing this in support of them and so more research can be carried out. This is for you Alison. Charlotte's story I am taking on the Public Sector Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in memory of my mum Ellen, who passed away from Bowel Cancer in 2015, when she was 61. The Bowel Cancer diagnosis came after a lifetime of illness with Ulcerative Colitis. She would definitely have said I was mad to take on this challenge (and she would have been right!) But she always thought me and my sister could achieve anything that we put our minds to. So here’s to tackling the three largest peaks in Britain and hopefully doing it in 24 hours. While I’m doing it I can think of the very real challenges that my mum and everyone else currently battling cancer has to go through every day. I am hoping the fundraising we are doing will really make a difference to those in the future. David's story I am doing the Yorkshire 3 peaks challenge in early September to raise money for Cancer Research. My mum died from cancer in 2019 and was a great inspiration for me and all the family; investing everything when we were growing up to make us the people we are today. This included walking us everywhere when we were younger. Surely that counts as training, right? My nephew, Christopher, is also working in the Cancer Research laboratories to improve the scientific understanding. So I'll be slowing down from the running for a while, travelling further and hoping for some good weather. If you can make a donation it would be much appreciated.
