Staff from Andover’s Countess of Brecknock Hospice will be testing their strength on a fund-raising, fifty-mile cycle ride through towns and villages in the Test Valley.
They’ll be stopping at surgeries en route in Stockbridge, Ludgershall, Sutton Scotney, Whitchurch and Andover to meet the GPs and others they work with at the hospice.
The team is being led by the Community Palliative Nurse Specialist, Lorna Cousins, who’s looking forward to the challenge. “We have good working relationships with our local GP surgeries. We wanted to celebrate these relationships and thought a bike ride seemed a great way to promote our community work and raise some money at the same time”.
She’ll also be accompanied by the Hospice Matron, Sarah McGaughey, sisters, a staff nurse, health care assistant and our community doctor.
The cyclists will be sent off on their journey by Test Valley’s Mayor, Councillor Phil Lashbrook, at 7 a.m. on September 19th. Mr Lashbrook has chosen the hospice as one of his mayoral year charities: “The best of luck to the hospice cyclists,” he said, “I hope their fund-raising is very successful. I’m proud to have the Countess of Brecknock Hospice as one of my charities this year.”
Back at the Hospice, other staff members, volunteers and supporters will be cycling in relay on an exercise bike to see how many miles they can complete in the same amount of time!
Photo: Cycling Team from left to right: Dr Julia Johnson-Ferguson, Sister Laura Pattinson, Community Palliative Care Nurse Sister Lorna Cousins, Health Care Assistant Sylwia Lopatka, Clinical Matron Sarah McGaughey and Staff Nurse Katie Bolton
