BLOG: From boardroom to coastal path
From boardroom to coastal path
Drawing on their professional and life experience to help St Luke’s by kindly giving their time and skills free of charge, our trustees are community-spirited volunteers who ensure our charity is governed prudently and with great integrity.
Such generosity to our organisation and the people we look after is in itself a big contribution, so when we learned trustee Mike Risdon was going a step further – well, several thousands of steps! – by taking on a sponsored trek along part of the South West Coast Path to fundraise for us, we were blown away!
Mike, who spent more than 35 years in senior financial management for large industrial companies, joined our Board of Trustees in 2017. His roles there include Treasurer, Chair’s Governance, Finance and Audit, Risk Management Committees, and Director of SLH Ventures Ltd.
With 2022 being St Luke’s 40th anniversary year, Mike was inspired to pull on his walking boots and get training for his trek. He then completed it over four days in May, hiking 63 miles from Looe in Cornwall to Salcombe in Devon, which roughly represents the coastal catchment area covered by our hospice team looking after people at home, in hospital and at Turnchapel.
While Mike’s trek was an opportunity to take in beautiful scenery, his focus was firmly on raising as much sponsorship as possible. And, thanks to the generosity of his family, friends and colleagues, he’s achieved a terrific result: more than £2,000 towards the compassionate care we provide at no cost to our patients.
Mike said: “When my wife Jan needed end of life care, Rowcroft Hospice in Torbay was there to help, and I have never forgotten the difference their kindness made to us both.
“Since becoming a trustee of St Luke’s, I’ve gained insight into just what it takes for hospices to keep on providing such high-calibre specialist care and support. As charities facing rising demand on their services, they need our support more than ever and I’m pleased to be doing my bit.
“Thank you to everyone who sponsored me – my hope is that I’ll have helped inspire other people to follow in my footsteps by fundraising for St Luke’s, however they choose to do it.”
Our thanks to Mike and his fellow trustees for everything they do for our charity – it is so appreciated!
If you’d like to take on a challenge to support us, there are so many ways to choose from. Click here to find out more.
