Running success

Daniel Atchinson ran 5km a day every day in May to raise money for the Hospice.
 
The idea for Dan to run the 5km every day for 31 days around Pontefract, came to him after he read about the Hospice and information during the pandemic. Having previously volunteered and fundraised he wanted to help again and has raised £815 so far.
 
Dan said: ‘I have been doing volunteer days at the Hospice for a few years now and I appreciate how hard they work to keep the place open. Being from Pontefract, I know how much the Hospice means to local people and how much it has supported people in the town and their relatives.’
 
A keen runner himself, he had already been going out for his daily runs to split up his days working from home. Speaking about what he had gained from the experience, he said it ‘enhanced the feeling of community’ for him as he had endless support from everyone and he was being encouraged by passers-by as he ran.
 
Dan said about what he found challenging: ‘The fatigue. There wasn’t a chance to have a rest day… I went over on my ankle and hurt my achilles a couple of weeks in…Above all though, it’s the amount people who have donated to such a worthy cause, highlights how much the Hospice is thought of.’
 
From his event, Dan said that the ‘the community has really supported me on this and I think if this pandemic has given us anything, It’s community spirit.’
 
We want to say a huge thank you to Dan from all of us at the Hospice, for his incredible help and we can’t wait to hear about the Leeds 10K he is planning on doing and any future events.