A Gloucester business owner is preparing to take on the London Marathon 2022 in memory of his father, and has set his sights on a fundraising feat to give back to the charity that cared for his dad.
James Brown, owner of JB Event Hire at Space Business Centre in Gloucester, is hoping to raise £5,000 for Sue Ryder as he prepares for the big race on Sunday, October 2.
James, who started running 10ks and half-marathons after his dad, Ian, passed away following a six-year battle with cancer, is hosting a series of fundraising activities for #TeamSueRyder, starting with a charity car wash on Sunday, April 3 from 10am until 4pm.
Sue Ryder, which is based locally at the Leckhampton Court Hospice, provided end-of-life care to Ian and bereavement support to James and his family as his condition deteriorated.
After being diagnosed with cancer in 2014, Ian started running, against medical advice, to stay fit and raise money for Cancer Research UK. He completed the London Marathon in 2016, raising over £20k for a variety of charities despite having his right lung removed two years before.
Ian had been accepted on to the London Marathon in 2019, but was unable to take part as his condition began to restrict his mobility.
In the summer of 2020, doctors found more than 20 inoperable tumours on his brain. Sue Ryder commenced palliative care at Ian’s home, visiting at least twice a day to support Ian and his family.
On August 16, 2020, Ian was taken to the Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice for round-the-clock care. In the midst of the pandemic James was unable to visit the hospice, but care teams were at the end of the phone so the family could get updates as often as they liked. He died two days later.
James said: “My dad was given six months to live after his first diagnosis, but proved the doctors wrong and he made it to six years. I started running in May 2020 in the hope of running alongside him, but sadly never got the chance.
“I’ve caught the running bug over the last couple of years and doing 10k runs has helped me to lose three-and-a-half stone while doing something that connects me to my dad.
“I completed the Cheltenham Half Marathon in September 2021 in support of Sue Ryder, and now I’ve got my sights on the TCS London Marathon to give something back for their incredible support.
“We’ve set a £5,000 fundraising target, and are kicking off with a charity car wash at Space Business Centre in Quedgeley.
“We are looking at hosting some other fundraising activities in the build-up to October to help us reach our target, but we’d love to see people in the local area showing their support.”
Matt Reay, Community Fundraising Manager at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have James on #TeamSueRyder for the TCS London Marathon 2022. James is a huge supporter of the hospice, running events and raising vital funds but also volunteering his time, like collecting hundreds of Christmas trees as part of our Treecycling initiative in January.
“As a charity we are heavily reliant on the fundraising and volunteering support of local people, organisations and groups so we can continue to be there when it matters. We wish James all the best in his training and fundraising ahead of the big day in October.”
Space Business Centre Gloucester, which is owned by property development company AC Lloyd, is providing additional site space and support for the charity car wash.
A minimum donation of £5 is required, with tea, coffee and cake available from Nicky’s Cakes & Bakes.
Lucy Iles, site manager at Space Business Centres in Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “Cancer has changed the life of so many wonderful people and I admire James for stepping up to raise money for such a worthy local cause.
“We at Space Cheltenham and Gloucester are behind him every step of the way and will be cheering him on to cross the finish line, as well as rolling up our sleeves to help wash some cars on the 3rd.”
For more information and to make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/james-brown229
Caption: James Brown, owner of JB Event Hire in Gloucester, is hoping to raise £5,000 for #TeamSueRyder when he takes on the London Marathon in October