Christmas is a busy time of year for members of the clergy, and for one local chaplain it will be even more so, committing to run three miles every single day throughout December including Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Rev Robert Pestell, who is hospice chaplain at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, has signed up for the December Daily Dash – a concept dreamt up by husband and wife Jackie and Mark Smith to raise funds for Sue Ryder in response to the care given to Jackie’s dad.

As part of the challenge Rob will be taking to the streets around the hospice or his home town of Winchcombe every day in December to run three miles, fitting it in around his Christmas clergy commitments.

Rev Rob said: “I wanted to take part to show my solidarity to all the December Daily Dashers who will be out pounding the streets whatever the weather raising funds for Sue Ryder. We’re so grateful for their support and I wanted to extend my thanks to them by lacing up my trainers and joining them.

“Christmas is a busy time for many people, and for members of the clergy it is an extremely busy time preparing celebrations for Christ’s birth and supporting people spiritually who may find Christmas a difficult time.

“I will be fitting my three mile runs in around Christmas preparations and spiritual support at the hospice, including the Lights of Love ceremony on Wednesday 6th December at St Matthew’s Church and special carol concerts for our patients and their families. I will be fitting in the runs around Christmas preparations at home with my family too.”

So far 120 runners are taking part in the December Daily Dash from right across the UK and as far afield as Copenhagen and Canada.

Jackie started the December Daily Dash to help raise funds for Sue Ryder after losing both her parents to cancer in a short space of time, and in response to the care Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice gave to her dad.

She said: “After losing both my parents so close together, I really wanted to try and find something positive out of an incredibly sad situation. Giving something back to Sue Ryder seemed like the perfect way to do this.

“When my dad was struggling to live on his own – and deal not only with the loss of my mum, but also his diagnosis and pain – he was admitted to Leckhampton Court Hospice in 2015.

“The relief he felt to be in such an amazingly caring environment, with such great facilities and views out onto the beautiful Cotswold countryside, was amazing. I remember him telling me how much he appreciated the mugs of hot chocolate that the nurses made him before bed, and how well looked after he felt.

“Even though he was only in the hospice for a few weeks, just the fact that he had someone there caring for him while he was grieving for mum was a great comfort to him and us; it made such a huge difference.

“Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice offered my dad a haven at a very bleak time and looked after him with care and dignity, and for that we will always be grateful. It means a lot that the hospice chaplain, Rev Rob Pestell, is supporting us in the December Daily Dash.”

To find out more about the December Daily Dash challenge, sign up for free via the group’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DecemberDailyDash

You can donate to Rev Rob’s December Daily Dash challenge on his Just Giving page http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Pestell1