95 year-old Joan Crowden from Exmouth has been inspired by Captain Tom Moore to take on her own fundraising challenge.
Granny Joan, as she is lovingly known by her friends and family, heard about Captain Tom’s amazing fundraising endeavour and asked her grandchildren to help think of something she could do to raise money for Hospiscare, her local hospice charity.
It isn’t the first time that Granny Joan has done her bit for the community. At the outbreak of World War II, 17 year-old Joan left home to join the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force and was soon helping the war effort by working as a Flight Mechanic. An important part of Joan’s role was to move the barrage balloons around the airfield to deter enemy aircraft and ensure the safety of our Spitfires.
With the unseen enemy facing our country today, Granny Joan is just as willing to do her bit. On Sunday 26 April, Granny Joan and her two new hips will take on the 2.6 Challenge to raise vital funds for Hospiscare.
Sunday should have brought the 40th London Marathon – the world’s biggest one-day annual fundraising event. As the marathon can’t go ahead as planned, people across the UK are instead taking on activities based around the numbers 2.6 or 26 to raise money in support of their chosen cause.
As an homage to her Airforce duties, Granny Joan will move 26 balloons 26 times from one end of her garden to the other, while fundraising via justgiving.com.
Granny Joan is supporting Hospiscare as she has seen first-hand the specialist care that our charity provides and has been moved by how our clinical team has adapted their services in order to continue caring for their patients and to support the NHS during this time.
Granny Joan explains,
“You never know when you or your family might need Hospiscare. I am taking on this challenge to help them care for others when and where it’s needed.”
Sarah Smith, Joan’s granddaughter, who works for our charity says, “Gran is a quiet person and not one for the limelight, but she’s also very determined. Once she has set herself a goal, she will do everything she can to achieve it so we know she’ll succeed with this challenge.
“We are so proud of gran; she has seen the comfort and care that Hospiscare provides and is determined to do her bit to help the charity navigate these difficult times.”
We rely upon the generosity of our local community to provide our services. With our charity shops closed and our fundraising events cancelled, Hospiscare’s finances are drastically impacted.
Financial support from the government will help support our funding until June but not in full. Supporters such as Granny Joan are needed now more than ever to help our charity continue to provide essential care for people living with a terminal illness in the heart of Devon.
