Heartbeat October 2019

On yer bike! Femi rides to fundraise
YOUR TRUST CHARITY
@SWBHCharity To donate
to the Your Trust Charity text
“SWBH16 £5” to 70070
Femi Kuforiji rode for success
Caring Femi Kuforiji and the
widening participation team have
taken part in a static bike ride to
London. All the money raised will go
towards supporting homeless young
people.
Femi is a project support officer for the Live
& Work NHS Apprenticeship programme.
He took on the 136 mile challenge in the
main reception area at Sandwell Hospital.
The exercise bikes were kindly supplied
by Sandwell Gym, owned by Jagdish Lal.
The event took place on 28 October and
personal trainers from the gym were also on
site to show their support.
Femi explained “Throughout the world,
vulnerable young people live in constant fear.
There are lots of triggers for homelessness such
as troubled family dynamics, health-related
issues, or being victims of circumstances.
“As temperatures plummet, cold weather can
prove disastrous for young people sleeping
on the streets. It can increase the risk of
developing hypothermia and frostbite. Some
have even been reported as dying due to
sleeping rough in cold weather.
"In 2017/18 statistics from the Youth
Homelessness Databank showed that over
100,000 young people were homeless or at the
risk of being homeless. We're passionate about
alleviating homelessness in our society. We
work collaboratively with St Basils on the Live
& Work NHS Apprenticeship programme. This
scheme provides apprenticeship opportunities
and living accommodation within the hospital
to young people who are either homeless or at
risk of homelessness.
“There is so much we can do to support
vulnerable young people. You can help by
donating to this fundraising event.”
To donate please visit: https://
uk.virginmoneygiving.com/
liveandworkprogramme
Dinah takes on Urban Ultra-marathon
London
Whilst the rest of us were still in our
slippers on the morning of Saturday 5
October, one devoted colleague was
already out in her trainers and raring to
go, not simply to run a regular marathon,
but to run a 55km ultramarathon.
Acting Director of Finance Dinah McLannahan
is not averse to a challenge and every step of
the 55km she ran stands in testament to her
tenacity. Starting at the Woolwich tunnel in
East London, Dinah joined some of the fittest
runners in England to take on one of the
toughest challenges.
Sharing her experience, Dinah said, “When
I saw the opportunity for an ultramarathon,
I jumped at the chance and began training.
Along with raising money for charity, it’s a
huge personal achievement."
Dinah completed an arduous 15 week
training programme in preparation for her
biggest challenge yet. Almost two years to
the day after arriving at the Trust, Dinah
joined 280 runners in London and began her
epic endeavour. Dinah ran the distance in an
impressive 8 hours 13 minutes and raised over
£1,200 in sponsorship!
Having travelled through nine boroughs,
Dinah concluded in Richmond. Recalling her
ultramarathon she said, “The last 12 miles
were hard, but the first 24 were surprisingly
ok! It was one of the best things I have ever
done. There were some brilliant views and the
course was never boring. I'm so proud and
happy to have raised such a good amount for
the charity. I skipped across the finish line, I
was so delighted to finish. Only three bruised
toenails too, so I'm glad it’s not summertime
and I can cover them up!”
If you'd like to join in with raising funds
for Your Trust Charity there are lots of
ways to get involved. Whether you want
to run a marathon like Dinah, climb a
mountain or have a bake sale, get in touch
with the team on ext. 4847. Alternatively,
you can email trustcharity@nhs.net.
Catching her breath at the half way
mark, Dinah was met by family members’
floods of encouragement to complete the
ultramarathon
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