Stockport NHS staff from both the hospital and community are up and ready to join in the Simplyhealth Great Manchester Run on Sunday 19th May.
Over 100 staff members are taking part in the 10K run, including nurses, healthcare, assistants, doctors, domestics, physio and occupational therapists, radiographers, managers and admin colleagues, together with senior executives from the Stockport NHS Foundation Trust board.
‘Team Step 10K’ will be amongst thousands running the tough course from Portland Street in Manchester all the way out around Old Trafford and back again up to Deansgate; taking in Manchester, Salford and Trafford.
The Stockport team are running as part of the run’s ‘NHS Blue Wave’, together with staff from Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. They will be running, jogging or walking on the route to promote physical and mental health and wellbeing, and to raise money for Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s charitable fund and other good causes.
One of those who will be running is Jenna Widdowson, a 34 year old mother of two from Marple and a facilities support services manager at Stepping Hill Hospital Jenna was rushed to hospital last year with a suspected heart attack, which turned out to be a severe panic attack. This was an urgent call for Jenna to take action to tackle stress.
Having never ran before, she started taking up the hobby with her local group the Davenport Runners and has found it greatly therapeutic. She is running to raise money for both the Stockport Foundation Trust and the Mental Health Foundation.
Jenna said “Our A&E staff were amazing, just like my own facilities colleagues at the hospital. I left our A&E that night with the determination to take better care of my mental health and to understand that “it is ok not to be ok”. Running has been great for me, and I’m doing this big run for two reasons. I’m running for my two girls, to show you can be a strong, successful, independent woman, working for the life and career you want. And I’m running to raise money and show support both for the Mental Health Foundation, and for our wonderful hospital, not only professionally as a great place to work, but as a very thankful 34 year old with no heart problems!”
Someone who has been running for longer is Malcolm Sugden, 61, from Ashton-under-Lyne, a non executive director from the trust board. Malcolm has already taken part in 15 previous Great Manchester Runs, and has helped drum up support for the Team Step 10K this year. Malcolm said “It’s been wonderful to see so many of our colleagues taking part in the Greater Manchester Run, and preparing to raise money for the great cause of our charitable fund. Whether we’re walking or running, it’s sure to be a fantastic day.”
If you want to help raise money for the team then visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/TeamStep10k