A sell-out in its first year, the Jingle Jog for Hospiscare is set to return to Greendale Farm on Sunday 29 November 2026. But behind the festive attire and vibrant atmosphere, many of the people who take part do so to honour the memories of their loved ones.
Tracey Lee is one of those people. She, along with an incredible 14 members of her family (plus their dog, Peggy), took part in the inaugural Jingle Jog last year, in memory of her mum, Shirley Dodge.
Tracey shares how Hospiscare stepped in to look after her mum when she became seriously ill, and why the family will be returning to the Jingle Jog again this year, to raise much-needed funds for the hospice.
Shirley Dodge
“Mum was really committed to helping other people,” says Tracey, describing Shirley’s selfless commitment to volunteering with Cullompton Football Club, and the decade she spent as a Scout leader. “She was very much part of the community, and loved fundraising. She would help others in any way she could.”
That passion for helping others, and raising funds for good causes, adds Tracey, has been passed on to her family, and is part of their inspiration behind taking part in Hospiscare’s Jingle Jog.
A family-oriented person, Shirley was devoted to her grandchildren. One of her most beloved phrases, adds Tracey, was ‘life’s too short’, and later in life, she discovered a love of world travel.
But Shirley’s passion for adventure, and for helping others, was sadly cut short when she was diagnosed with untreatable cancer in summer 2025. When things became too much for Shirley, Hospiscare nurses suggested that she should stay at the hospice to manage her pain.
“That was amazing because she had bravely lived with pain for so long, we felt so helpless and upset for her. We were doing our best to care and support her, but we just didn’t know what else we could do. So when she was admitted into the hospice for a pain management stay, she had 10 days of really brilliant help and we all felt some respite.”
After more treatment in hospital, and a brief stay back at home, Shirley returned to Hospiscare for the final time. Tracey says that this was always her mum’s wishes and it gave her a great deal of comfort and reassurance:
“The complexities and practicalities of the care required were difficult for Mum and the family… so being in the hospice was a relief. It meant that we were able to spend a bit of time with her, which we hadn’t been able to enjoy until then. She was really well looked after.”
Shirley very sadly died on 4 October 2025. But it was something she said to Tracey and her brother Trevor that inspired the family to do something to give back:
“Mum was always keen on fundraising, and she said to us when she was in the hospice, ‘make sure you do some fundraising to give back to others!’”
“So when I saw the Jingle Jog advertised, I suggested to the family that we should do it. My cousins agreed, and we wanted the children to take part to help them process everything, and to follow Mum’s example of helping others whenever she could.
Frank Lee
Taking part in the Jingle Jog, explains Tracey, wasn’t a hard sell for her boys, who were ‘really keen’ to be a part of it. Family sign-ups started to snowball, and by race day, Team Shirley’s numbers had swelled to 16, with ages ranging from 6 to 48.
And if you’re thinking of taking part, Tracey adds that it really doesn’t matter whether you’re a runner or not – it’s an inclusive event that anyone can do:
“As I had been juggling work, kids and caring for mum, I hadn’t been able to exercise for a while, but I didn’t want that to hold me back because I knew it wasn’t just a race. It was about taking part and raising money for Hospiscare. Of course, the children all went off at the speed of knots… they were very competitive. Really, it was about being part of the atmosphere.”
Whilst the race is all about taking part, and raising money for local end-of-life care, it didn’t stop Team Shirley from placing first overall for both the 10k and 5k races – and achieving the highest fundraising total on the day.
Harry Lee
Tracey continues:
“the volunteers were fantastic, there was a choir singing and some cheer stations as you go round. There were plenty of cheers, people dressed in festive outfits, and support from family who came to cheer us on.”
Team Shirley will once again be donning their Santa hats and reindeer antlers for the 2026 Jingle Jog – and not just because Tracey’s children want to beat last year’s times:
“As a family, we’re committed to ongoing fundraising for Mum – we know that her stay at Hospiscare was expensive and without public fundraising, other families simply won’t have access to the support that we did. We want to give back so that somebody else gets that opportunity to have a bed when they really need it. It’s what Mum would have wanted.”
Thank you to Tracey for sharing her mum Shirley’s story.
