The supporters will travel to London together on Sunday 23rd April and run alongside tens of thousands of other runners in support of the charity which provides specialist respite, symptom management, bereavement and end-of-life care to people of all ages across Essex.
So far, ‘Team Havens’ collectively has raised over £101,000 towards the hospices’ services, meaning more care can be provided to even more people in the community.
One of those who will be hoping to cross the finish line at Sunday’s marathon is supporter George Burgess from Rochford. George is running in memory of his mother-in-law Jane who was cared for by Fair Havens at the end of her life in 2021. Jane was diagnosed with a terminal illness and at the start of her treatment was offered respite sessions at the hospice.
Jane’s daughter, George’s wife, Anna Burgess described these as a ‘little pick me up’ and a distraction for Jane during her illness which she really enjoyed. Anna, who has been supporting George with fundraising said: “The hospice were a listening ear, a place my parents could turn to when they had medical questions which they needed answering. The Care Team was there for my mum, and for us as a whole family through her whole cancer journey and we want to raise money for them to say thank you. We hope the money we raise will support another family going through what we went through. This event will bring us together to keep Mum’s memory alive, for all of us, but especially for her grandchildren.”
Several members of staff who work across Havens Hospices will also be lacing up their running shoes for the experience of a lifetime.
Dawn Corallini, Fair Havens Nursing Assistant, has always wanted to run the London Marathon and running for Havens Hospices is a cause close to her heart. Dawn has been working at Fair Havens since June 2022 and was inspired to become a Nursing Assistant because of the care her late husband received at the hospice nearly three years ago.
Dawn’s husband Fulvio and father to their teenage girls, was 49 when he was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.
Despite resisting palliative care initially due to a negative experience at hospital, within days Fulvio accepted the care he needed at the hospice. Dawn said: “Within days of being at the hospice, they knew what medication he needed to be on and sorted his care plan. He was a different person. I could see glimpses of the Fulvio I knew – jovial, joking with the Care Team. I hadn’t seen that for so long because of the pain. Fulvio only spent a week at Fair Havens, but that was what he needed. They restored his trust and faith in asking for help. For us, Fair Havens wasn’t about dying, it was getting Fulvio’s pain under control so we could have that small window of quality time together.”
Little Havens Nurse Lauran Boulton, having clocked up countless miles during her training runs, will also be participating to raise money for the hospice she works for. Lauran began working at Little Havens as a Care Team Nurse in 2015 and since then has become a Team Leader, coordinating the team on shift to ensure children and their families are being cared for in the best way possible.
“I’m so proud to work for Little Havens, so it felt right to join ‘Team Havens’ and run the marathon for the hospice, and all our families. I know how important our care is to the children we care for, I get to see first-hand how it makes a difference to families so I wanted to do all I could to help with our fundraising, so Little Havens can continue to be there for every family who needs us.”
“It doesn’t matter how fast I run or what time I complete the race in, I just can’t wait to cross the finish line. The atmosphere around the course is going to be such an amazing experience, and this is what I can’t wait for. I’m going to be making memories around the course while raising as much as I can for a charity that’s so close to my heart.”
Judy Grocott, Head of Fundraising at Havens Hospices said, “Amongst ‘Team Havens’ we have people who have experienced our care first-hand, members of staff, runners who had never run more than 5K when they signed up and some runners who, year on year, take part and continue to fundraise for the charity.
“It really takes some perseverance and commitment, training and running a marathon. We couldn’t be prouder of the team of supporters who are helping us continue ‘Making every day count’ for everyone we care for at our two hospices. As a charity who relies heavily on donations and the generosity of the community, we must raise over £85,000 a week to provide care to everybody who needs us across the county and we can’t thank the team enough for supporting the cause.”
Havens Hospices is always on the lookout for more runners to join ‘Team Havens’ and take part in the London Marathon. For more information please email jgrocott@havenshospices.org.uk
To make a donation to George’s JustGiving page please visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/george-burgess21
To make a donation to Dawn’s fundraising page visit
https://www.gofundme.com/f/nc5xy-fair-havens-london-marathon
To make a donation to Lauran’s fundraising page visit
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lauran-boulton2023
Published 19th April 2023
