THE daughter of a man who died in hospice care is raising money to support the institution.

Lucy Smith, of Maidenhead, is training to run the London Marathon next month to support Rennie Grove Hospice Care, to show her appreciation for their care of her father Patrick Hester, of Slough, who died in February last year.

Mrs Smith said: “For those left behind the bewilderment of the days following the death of a loved one can be overwhelming.

“While it was of course a heart-breaking time, it was undoubtedly made easier for us all by Rennie Grove Hospice Care.

“No one should have to have to go through it without the kind of support which they so brilliantly give.”

Mrs Smith is an enthusiastic jogger, who keeps a blog about her training and fundraising efforts.

She said: “The biggest attraction is the headspace – the total luxury of being off grid for even half an hour, with time to think, or sometimes just listen to music and switch of completely.

“When my Dad passed away, running was when I got time to process what was happening.

“I spent a lot of time thinking about what it was that had made him such a force of nature, and one of things that jumped out at me was that he had always believed that he, and by extension we, his family, could do anything, provided we were prepared to put in the hard work.”

Meanwhile, Mrs Smith’s husband Pete is doing a sponsored chest wax to boost the cause – promising a full body wax if he gets up to £3,000.

Mrs Smith reminded people that even the smallest contribution can make a big difference: “Just £25 pays for an hour of care in a patient’s home, while £100 covers the cost of two family bereavement support sessions, so anything that you can spare for this great cause really will make a massive difference to someone’s life.”

You can follow Lucy’s blog at lucyoffandrunning.wordpress.com and support her fundraising campaign at https://tinyurl.com/ycefct5w