A hospice charity has launched its very own running club to help people train to take on the Cheltenham Half Marathon on Sunday 30th September.

Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice will be arming runners with training tips and advice to get from Couch to 10k. The club will then hold weekly training nights in the run-up to the Cheltenham Half from the picturesque hospice grounds in Leckhampton.

Sue Ryder calls supporters taking on a challenge to raise funds for them ‘Team Incredible’, so the group has been dubbed the ‘Team Incredible Leckhampton Run Club’, and it will be holding an information meeting on Wednesday 28th March.

Everyone – non-runners, novice runners right through to more regular runners – are welcome to come along to hear more about the plans from 6.45pm in the Day Hospice, Church Road, Leckhampton, Cheltenham, GL53 0QJ.

Kelly Rumble, community fundraising manager at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, signed up to join the Team Incredible Run Club after her personal experiences inspired her to enter the Cheltenham Half to raise funds for the very hospice she now works for and helped care for her mum. It’s her first half marathon.

She said: “My mum Ann passed away in January 2004, aged 52, from cancer. We lost her far too young.

“She was in tremendous pain and Sue Ryder helped mum manage her pain and all the emotions she was going through.

“As a family we all went through a complete rollercoaster, but we were all so very grateful for the care mum was given by Sue Ryder. The support she received was tremendous.

“I can remember spending my 25th birthday with my mum sat in Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court, and 14 years later I am working here.

“I wanted to take an extra step to help the hospice, so as well as supporting people who are raising funds for Sue Ryder through my job, I am taking on a personal challenge of my own and running the Cheltenham Half.

“I am looking forward to getting going. The advice, hints and tips and meeting other runners will give me the help and motivation I need to take on a half marathon.”

Helping Kelly and other members of the run club to get Cheltenham Half fit are professional personal trainers Catherine Hickey, James Clay and Connie Consuela who all wanted to support the Sue Ryder charity – one of the charity partners for this year’s Cheltenham Half.

Catherine Hickey said: “Five years ago my mum spent her final weeks in Sue Ryder and the care she, and we, received was wonderful.

“I will always be incredibly grateful that she was looked after so compassionately and she was able to have as good a death as possible. I know how much money is needed to allow other people like mum to have hospice care.

“I am really honoured to have been approached to lead and coach the team running the Cheltenham Half for Sue Ryder.

“Running is something I feel passionately about. I’ve been a UK Athletics Leader for eight years and have two running clubs based in Charlton Kings.

“I have run over 30 half marathons and ultra marathons and three years ago two of us ran the Cotswold Way in three days, raising over £4,500 for Sue Ryder.

“The physical and mental health benefits of running with a group are unquestionable, so it makes perfect sense to train for the Cheltenham Half and raise money for a very worthwhile cause at the same time. I can’t wait to get started in a few weeks!”

To join the Team Incredible Leckhampton Run Club visit the Team Incredible Leckhampton Run Club Facebook event page, email leckhampton.events@sueryder.org or call 01242 246162.