The Running Diaries – Nurse Jen

17th April 2024/inNews, blog, latest news

Nurse Jen’s running challenge

“I decided to run for all the patients and their families that I have cared for over the years as they often show me the great strength they have.”

St Luke’s Nurse Consultant Jen Nicholls is the head of service for our Community team, providing specialist care for patients in the comfort of their own homes. She will be swapping her St Luke’s nursing uniform for a running vest on Sunday 28 April as she will be taking on Plymouth Britain’s Ocean City Half Marathon in aid of the patients she cares for.

Frontline nursing

Jen has worked for St Luke’s since August 2016, originally based in the St Luke’s hospital team at Derriford before moving over to the Community team in 2019. As one of our frontline nurses, Jen witnesses firsthand the impact fundraising has on the care she delivers.

It is an honour to support them

“Recently I had the great honour of looking after a young patient, he died at the age of 23 years old, but he kept his pride, independence and was true to himself to the end. He was an absolute pleasure and so brave all the way through, this reflects the importance of our work.

“The care that St Luke’s gives is amazing and is very special and I am privileged to be a part of patients’ and their families’ lives during these difficult times. It’s a great honour to be able to help and support them during this time.”

Running for all the patients and their families

“For me the charity plays such an important role in so many different ways, from specialist palliative care, our end of life urgent care service, to the inpatient care at our specialist unit, to compassionate communities to education and supporting the wider health and social care system in end of life care.

“Therefore, I decided to run for all the patients and their families that I have cared for over the years as they often show me the great strength they have.”

Running for mental health

For many running can have so many great benefits, not just your physical fitness, but also for your mental health. Like many of our teams, Jen’s daily job can be both physically and emotionally tough, but she describes how getting outside running on either the moors or along the coastal paths has helped her to switch off, while also becoming a social hobby, running with friends regularly.

Running funds our compassionate care

It costs £11 million to provide our services each year and the majority of that is down to contributions from the local community. By choosing to run for St Luke’s, you will be making a direct impact on the vital funds we need, allowing us to continue to provide compassionate care and support for local families.

Whether you put your best foot forward in Plymouth or at any race across the country or further afield, you’ll be raising much-needed funds to help us reach people living near you when their time is running short. With your support, we can ensure they live well to the end of their lives, making precious memories with those dearest to them. If you’ve already got your spot for the half marathon, then it’s not too late to make a difference with your sponsorship, raising £100 will be enough to provide a visit from one of our Urgent Care Service nurses. This could mean just asking 10 friends to sponsor you £10 each, a kind-hearted contribution that could make a big impact.

Running for St Luke’s

Why should you run? We asked Jen what advice she would give anyone considering signing up for a race this year. “Give it a go,” she says. “As if I can, you can and what better way than being part of more than 70 runners running for St Luke’s all in our white vests.”

Get in touch today

If you are interested in running for St Luke’s, then please get in touch today and be part of the St Luke’s team.

Run for St Luke’s Run Plymouth

Related articles

, ,

BLOG: Step inside: Explore our specialist unit with our new hospice virtual tour

The prospect of coming to a hospice can be a daunting and scary one. We have tried to ease any uncertainty with our brand-new virtual tour. Thanks to local company Made Snappy 360 who created the virtual tour, you can now step inside the doors of our specialist unit at Turnchapel from the comfort of your home. Whether you are coming to the hospice building yourself, from home or hospital, or visiting a loved one, we hope that by exploring the rooms and gardens any anxiety can be lessened. Many of you, including young children, may have never even stepped foot inside a hospice, so will be unsure of what to expect, but thanks to the virtual tour you can now explore the rooms ahead of time, including the family play room!
, ,

BLOG: A brush with Christmas: Brian Pollard’s festive designs for St Luke’s

It might still be October, but at St Luke’s we’re starting to embrace the festive spirit - and what better way to start than with our brand-new charity Christmas cards, available in all our shops now! This year’s exclusive design has been painted by celebrated local artist and long-time supporter of St Luke’s, Brian Pollard, whose joyful winter scene captures the magic of Plymouth in the snow. We caught up with Brian to hear more about his inspiration and his special connection to St Luke’s.
, ,

BLOG: You can take the lady out of St Luke’s but not St Luke’s out of the lady

St Luke's Hospice Plymouth has reunited with one of its earliest caring hearts during a surprise visit for this special lady on her 95th birthday. Brixton Venn Court resident Joy Ridley, one of St Luke’s first-ever nursing auxiliaries in the 1980s, was visibly moved when Jess Timbrell, a paramedic with the hospice, arrived with flowers and a birthday card for her this week. Although the two women had never met before, they quickly recognised in each other the same unwavering compassion for families affected by terminal illness.
, ,

BLOG: Going above and beyond – Hospice Care Week 2025

Making what seems impossible happen – even the smallest of things - can have a profound effect for those whose time is running short and their families. At St Luke’s, we believe hospice care goes far beyond the physical care – it’s about living well until the very end. Every day, our teams go above and beyond to help patients make the most of the time they have, creating space for joy, connection, and unforgettable moments with loved ones. Whether it’s a final trip to a special place, arranging a wedding, or simply sharing stories over tea, we’re here to make memories happen. This Hospice Care Week (6-12 October 2025) we are shining a light on the compassionate stories that make up St Luke’s and the staff and volunteers that make them happen.
, ,

BLOG: Pedal-powered moorland challenge Tour de Moor supports St Luke’s hospice care

Hundreds of generous-spirited cyclists pedalled with a purpose on Sunday to make this year’s St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s Tour de Moor bike challenge a memorable and successful occasion. Wearing striking orange branded T-shirts, more than 900 riders turned the wild landscape of Dartmoor into a thrilling two-wheeler spectacle while raising vital funds to support the charity’s compassionate end-of-life care for local people and their families.
, ,

BLOG: Riding ahead of the pack: Meet Joseph

When 13-year-old Joseph realised that he wouldn’t be able to make it to our Tour de Moor ride on Sunday, he didn’t let disappointment slow him down. Instead, he took on the challenge a week early, determined not to miss out on the event he had been looking forward to all year. Avid bike lover, Joseph Florey, from Sherford, took part in our Tour de Moor with his dad for the first time last year. He loved it so much that he couldn’t wait to do it all over again this year and so signed up as soon as possible. However unfortunately, he is due to undergo an operation just before the big day, meaning he would miss this year’s event. But Joseph was not going to let that stop him from completing the challenge. He got out on his bike at the weekend and battled the weather to ride the 11km route and has raised more than £100 in the process.
, ,

BLOG: Mini-Moor, Mighty effort: Five-year-old Lenny rides for St Luke’s

At just five years old, Lenny Harrison from Plympton is gearing up for a challenge that’s bigger than most children his age would dream of - taking part in the 11km Mini-Moor route of our Tour de Moor. Not only that, but he has already raised over £1,300 for St Luke’s and he hasn’t even crossed the start line yet. Lenny, who turned five in April, lives with his mum and dad, Mica and Dan, and his older brother Parker, who’s nine. He has recently discovered a love for cycling that’s taken off in a big way. “Although he’s been great on a balance bike for a while,” says Dan, “he only really became confident on his current bike around April or May this year. But now it’s clicked, we just can’t keep him off it!”
, ,

BLOG: Mrs M makes her mural magic shine for St Luke’s Guiding Lights

With her signature blend of nature-inspired creativity, her passion for protecting the environment and her strong sense of community spirit, Plymouth artist Ellie Johnson, aka Mrs Murals, is a beacon of enthusiasm for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s Guiding Lights art trail and auction spectacular that’s set to dazzle the city’s streets in summer 2026. As one of two launch artists, alongside St Luke’s patron and celebrated city painter Brian Pollard, in May Mrs M proudly unveiled the design she created for a small scale lighthouse that will travel to different locations across South West and West Devon and into Cornwall in the lead-up to the event, encouraging public engagement and support for the hospice.
, ,

BLOG: Vicki’s Ride of Remembrance: Tackling Tour de Moor for her dad – and herself

With a mullet bike, a fierce love for enduro riding, and a promise made on her dad’s 70th birthday, Vicki Boorman will be one of our riders taking on the 53km Tour de Moor challenge on Sunday 28 September. For Vicki, riding has long been her way of finding balance and clarity - a few hours of freedom among the trees - and this year as she takes to the inclines of Dartmoor, every pedal stroke will be both a tribute to her dad and a step forward in her own journey.
PreviousNext

Our Care

Support us

Courses

Information

BLOG: The Running Diaries – Lauren PrenticeBLOG: Hiking for hospice care