Friends get set for gruelling run in aid of Leeds hospice in memory of Cecelia, one

A group of friends are limbering up to tackle a major long-distance run this weekend in aid of Martin House Hospice - a cause particularly close to the heart of one of the runners.
Four of the five friends who plan to run 30 miles on Sunday in aid of Martin House Hospice in Boston Spa. Pictured from left: (Joe Butcher, Sam Beresford, Rob Mynett and Jack Firth.Four of the five friends who plan to run 30 miles on Sunday in aid of Martin House Hospice in Boston Spa. Pictured from left: (Joe Butcher, Sam Beresford, Rob Mynett and Jack Firth.
Four of the five friends who plan to run 30 miles on Sunday in aid of Martin House Hospice in Boston Spa. Pictured from left: (Joe Butcher, Sam Beresford, Rob Mynett and Jack Firth.

Jack Firth, 28, of Outwood, Wakefield, wanted to give back to the Boston Spa hospice for the "incredible" care they provided to his sister Esme Westmoreland, 30, and husband James when their daughter, Cecelia, was sadly diagnosed with a life-limiting genetic condition, called 1.p36, at six months old.

This Sunday, he and four friends will be embarking on a gruelling run from Manchester to Huddersfield, covering over 30 miles in total, including a 1,200ft climb up Saddleworth Moor.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As previously reported in the Yorkshire Evening Post, Cecelia, of Otley, died in February, just weeks after her first birthday, at home - a situation made possible due to careful planning by the hospice, which also went on to provide bereavement support to her parents.

Jack Firth, pictured with his niece Cecelia, at nine days old, right, and two and a half weeks old, left.Jack Firth, pictured with his niece Cecelia, at nine days old, right, and two and a half weeks old, left.
Jack Firth, pictured with his niece Cecelia, at nine days old, right, and two and a half weeks old, left.

Jack said the help the hospice gave to his family has given him and four of his friends - Rob Mynett of Barnsley, Joe Metcalfe of Huddersfield and Sam Beresford and Joe Butcher, both of Manchester - the motivation to set themselves the impressive fundraising challenge.

The friends, all aged 28, met while studying at Shelley College in Huddersfield and Jack says none of them are keen runners.

He said: "Around last Christmas, Sam and I had been thinking about doing a long-distance run and then my niece passed away in February and that gave us more of a spur to get on and do this challenge and also a cause to do it for.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Sam has done a marathon before but that was about six years ago. I've not done a lot of sport since university. None of us are keen runners as such so it's kind of a 'Can we do this?'. At the start [of training] I was thinking ' This isn't really possible' but then you start getting out and doing longer runs and you think 'actually we could do this'."

Cecelia, pictured on her first birthday.Cecelia, pictured on her first birthday.
Cecelia, pictured on her first birthday.

Despite training set-backs along the way, including the implications of lockdown and a few knee injuries, the group is all set to leave Manchester's Cotton Field Wharf at Ancoats at 8.30am on Sunday and hope to cross the finish line early afternoon in Upper Cumberworth, where Jack and Esme's parents live.

Jack said: "Some days I think we will be fine - it will hurt and we will ache but we will keep going to the finish line. And other days I get a bit nervous - I've only managed 20 miles myself because of my knee injury. But we will do it - we are all pretty determined."

He added: "If it wasn't for Cecelia, I wouldn't have heard of Martin House and I saw the help that they gave. It was obviously a really tough situation but they were a massive help in getting them through it - they're doing an incredible job.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"So this is just about me doing something for them because they obviously did so much for Esme, James and Cecelia."

James, 36, and Esme Westmoreland, 30, with daughter Cecelia.James, 36, and Esme Westmoreland, 30, with daughter Cecelia.
James, 36, and Esme Westmoreland, 30, with daughter Cecelia.

Esme, 30, who completed her own fundraising challenge in April for Martin House and will be joining the group for the first three miles on Sunday, said: "It's amazing. They have been training for more than a marathon - just giving up their time and weekends to do this. It means so much for us and it will mean so much for Martin House too. I'm hoping it will be a huge success."

In April, the Yorkshire Evening Post reported how the Boston Spa hospice, which cares specifically for children and young people, was expecting to lose £1.7m in essential funding due to the pandemic.

Since then, hospice chiefs have revised their figures to reveal an estimated £2.2m loss in voluntary income this financial year - despite overall running costs remaining at £9m a year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

To sponsor the group visit their fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/daft-lads-dash

A message from the Editor: Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.

Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.

Thank you

Laura Collins

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.