UPDATE 17th June: Huge congratulations to Robyn on completing her 180 laps and raising £920 with more coming in! You’re a hospice star!
An 11-year-old Worcester girl is striding out on 180 laps of Perdiswell Playing Field to raise funds for the hospice that cared for her beloved Grandpa.
Robyn Perkins, who lives in Worcester, chose to take on the epic challenge as her Grandpa Victor Duggan had always told her he was 180 years old!
Robyn has already completed 106 laps of the field – over 75 miles – during half term and now has 74 laps still to go in her fundraising challenge for St Richard’s Hospice.
“My Grandpa passed away last year due to cancer. He was cared for at home by his loving family but also had great support from the nurses at St Richard’s Hospice. I wanted to show my appreciation by raising as much as I possibly can to give a helping hand to the hospice as a thank you for helping my Grandpa in his final days,” said Robyn.
Robyn’s mum, Emma Wood, said, “When she used to asked her grandpa how old he was, he always said 180 just as the game show Bullseye used to say. When Robyn decided she wanted to do something to raise money for the hospice she decided 180 laps of Perdiswell Playing Field would be the challenge. I don’t think she realised just how far that was but she was sticking to it!
“We are so proud of her and all her hard work and willpower! Her grandpa would be so proud of what she’s doing for such a good cause.”
Each lap of the field is about 1,880 steps and takes Robyn around half an hour to complete. Robyn will talk a total of 133.2 miles.
The intrepid challenger has already raised £760 raised of £1,000 goal. To support Robyn’s fundraising visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-victor-duggan
St Richard’s Hospice Fundraiser Ria Simons said, “Robyn is a young hospice star, and we’re really impressed with her dedication and enthusiasm. She’s taken on a big challenge to raise funds for our care and I’m sure her grandpa would be very proud of her.
“At such a young age Robyn has seen first-hand how much difference that our care can make to a patient and their family. It’s always a privilege to be able to support families like Robyn’s when they need us most.”
St Richard’s Hospice cares for adults with a serious progressive illness, improving their quality of life from diagnosis, during treatment and to their last days. It also supports their loved ones.
Each year the hospice team supports more than 3,300 patients, family members and bereaved people in Worcestershire.
St Richard’s is an independent charity and relies on donations and gifts in Wills for the majority of its income with the remainder funded by the NHS.