Last weekend saw two teams of colleagues from Somerset Passenger Solutions (SPS) taking on two different challenges in support of some very worthwhile causes.
A team of SPS colleagues took part in a sponsored walk to raise funds for Driver Mark Scaife and his wife Sonia following her diagnosis of terminal cancer.
The Walk 4 Sonia from Kilve to Minehead Beach was organised by SPS Supervisors Kirstie Atkinson and Declan Meaker.
After an initial target of £1,000 the campaign has now raised £5,040 which will be used to enable the couple, who recently renewed their vows with the assistance of Chris Pollard, SPS Chaplain, to spend some quality time in Cornwall where they had planned to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
Kirstie Atkinson and Declan Meaker, said: “This walk was for dear friends Mark and Sonia who have had a very hard time the past few years and have been trying so hard to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.
“Recently they have had the devastating diagnosis of Sonia’s untreatable cancer. We wanted to set them up with some funds to be able to finally celebrate the loving years they have spent together.
“This money will go towards time away down in Cornwall where they have both been planning to sightsee and enjoy time spent together. So many of us have been affected by cancer in our lives and we are just trying to help them create lasting memories that they will both cherish and share with their family.
“We chose a sponsored walk because Mark is an avid walker at work and has been known to do a few laps whilst on his breaks from driving. If any of you have had the chance to meet Mark and Sonia you would know how caring and selfless the two are and would do anything for anyone in need, so we are trying to repay and acknowledge this by raising money for them and to show our appreciation to them.”
Link to their Go Fund Me page.
Meanwhile, a team of 14 SPS colleagues from across the business colleagues took part in the Cardiff Half Marathon to raise money for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance.
Each day, the charity is summoned to attend medical emergencies where their swift response and specialised equipment can make all the difference. They can reach even the most remote locations within minutes, granting patients the best possible chance at survival and recovery.
Well done to Gethyn Joyce, Simon Mohammad, Chris Ball, Jess Ingram, Sam Budd, Stephen Hill, Jenny Macleod, Nick French, Chris Davis, Liam Groves, Isabel Matthews, Steven Howe, Daniel Farkas and Attila Kovacs who all completed the Marathon, some for the first time.
Together they smashed through their original £1,000 target which now stands at £2,536 with funds still coming in. We were delighted to raise this amount for our chosen annual charity knowing that they rely entirely on the generosity of donations to sustain their life-saving operations.
Link to their fundraising page.
The SPS team also held a series of cakes sales across the depots as part of the annual Macmillan Coffee Morning campaign. This raised over £330 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
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