1,000km challenge to support NHS staff health and wellbeing

Lincolnshire’s NHS community hospital staff have inspired a fundraising challenge that is helping to raise hundreds of pounds to support their health and wellbeing.

Darren Gray has pledged to cycle or walk 1,000 kilometres (just over 621 miles) in a month to reach a target of £1,500 after seeing hospital staff respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Darren is among a number of staff from Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) who have been redeployed from their usual jobs to support other busy frontline NHS services during this time.

For Darren, it has meant swapping his corporate role as a portfolio and relationship manager in the Strategy team to helping colleagues based in community hospitals to prepare and manage demand for their services.

Darren explained: “What has been really amazing throughout all of this is being closer to our patients and clinical colleagues, to better understand the fantastic work they do and, during this time, under significant pressures. They are all working incredibly hard to deal with an unprecedented issue and I feel there will come a time when many of them will need to take time to focus on their own health and wellbeing.

“Having used our health and wellbeing services previously to learn mindfulness and knowing the difference it made to me, being able to talk and discuss how you are feeling mentally has helped me and will help colleagues. I want to make sure the same opportunities remain available to others when they feel they need it.”

All of the money collected by Darren will be donated to the Lincolnshire NHS Charity at LCHS, a registered charity which supports staff and patients with innovative projects that would not otherwise be funded by the NHS.

Darren will be completing his miles from the comfort of his own home in Stamford with his bicycle mounted onto a turbo trainer before May 26, 2020.

So far, he has covered more than 600km and raised almost £1,300.

 “It has been horrendous so far!” laughed Darren.  “I had been previously doing around 20km on my turbo trainer twice a week but I’m now trying to do up to 40km a day. After the first day, it was difficult to walk up the stairs but it’s totally worth it.”

To donate towards Darren’s fundraising efforts, visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DarrenGray16

For more information about the Lincolnshire NHS Charity, visit www.lincolnshirecommunityhealthservices.nhs.uk/join-us/charitable-funds