A NEW team challenge will see dozens of people run, jog, walk, pootle and plod around the clock to raise money for Bury Hospice.

For the first time in Bury's history, residents and businesspeople will be invited to lace up their running shoes to take on a 24-hour relay in aid of the hospice, which supports people facing life-limiting conditions, and their families.

North Business Solutions is the first business to enter the summer 2020 plodathon.

Account manager Louise Waterhouse’s mum died in the hospice recently and the team decided to take part to say thank you.

The plodathon is the brainchild of running club Prestwich Plodders, which has partnered with the hospice for the event.

Vikki Launders, of Prestwich Plodders, said: “I am so pleased to be part of what, I hope, will be a fantastic fundraising event for the hospice and look forward to working alongside the amazing fundraising team."

She added: “A plodathon was mentioned in the early days of our Plodders group, and is something which I have been very keen to arrange.

“When I spoke to Dale Mulgrew, the hospice's events fundraiser, about it, he jumped at the chance.

"I was introduced to hospice trustee Deborah Lisle, who came along to one of our events, The 5k Summer of Love Shuffle, and it soon became clear that we had the same vision for a plodathon and we began making plans."

The relay event will be held at Bury Athletics Track in the town centre, which has also partnered with the hospice.

Participating teams will make a 24-hour journey around the track, with three members of each squad required to be on the go at any one time. Each team will be made up of 12 members.

Mr Mulgrew, who is responsible for the hospice’s major fundraising events, said: “By taking part in this fantastic event with family and friends, you will have a whole load of fun while raising much-needed funds to keep Bury Hospice’s end-of-life care services going."

The hospice opened its doors in 1991 to provide palliative and end-of-life care. Its services include inpatient care at its site in Rochdale Old Road, care at home, day patient care with day visits and activities, as well as bereavement support for families and friends.

Bury Hospice costs about £2.7 million a year to run — that's around £7,397 a day — to provide care for men and women, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Of that, about 22.4 per cent comes from Bury Clinical Commissioning Group, but the hospice must still raise £2.3 million of its own accord.

The plodathon is the latest big events to be added to the hospice's fundraising calendar, which includes Strictly Best Foot Forward, Light up a Life and the Christmas tree collection.

The relay will begin at 12 noon on Saturday, June 13, and conclude at 12 noon on June 14.

Registration costs £20 per person, with a reduced registration fee of £15 being offered to those who sign up before March 31.

To take part, or find out more, call the hospice fundraising team on 0161 797 1748 or email fundraising@buryhospice.org.uk.