Team Billups and Challinor Soar for Luke and David
Patient and Family Stories
Community is a big word here at Rotherham Hospice
It is through our amazing community that we hear some amazing stories about ways the Hospice have impacted someone’s life and how they are now in turn impacting what we do.
Four years ago, Amanda Challinor lost her husband David, who spent time at Rotherham Hospice after battling a brain tumour he was diagnosed with in March 2015. The Hospice at Home team ensured David was able to spend his last days at home, as was his wish, supporting not only David but the whole family. Amanda says,
“The Hospice at Home team kept me on my feet when I would otherwise have been on my knees.”
The same year, Christine and David Billups lost their son, Luke, also to a brain tumour which he was diagnosed with just a year before. Luke was cared for by the Hospice at Home team. Amanda and Christine formed an instant, deep bond due to their shared circumstances and were both determined to do something positive by which to remember David and Luke.
Since losing her husband at the Hospice, Amanda has thrown herself into every fundraising event under the sun. She’s hiked the Yorkshire Three Peaks, jumped out of a plane in a charity Skydive and run around Rotherham for Glow with the Flow.
Similarly, the Billups and friends have taken any and every opportunity to fundraise for Rotherham Hospice. In 2019, they held an auction over Facebook and raised over £2,000, completed a 10k Twilight Walk and also ran in Glow with the Flow.
The community comes together for Team Billups and Challinor
In memory of David and Luke, the Challinors and the Billups decided to run another Facebook live auction hosted by The Shoe Room, Doncaster. The event was an amazing, combined effort with people and local businesses coming together, including Eden Mobility who donated a recliner and a host of other local businesses donating prizes to the event.
The night was a roaring success, with the community truly coming together to raise money, awareness, and their glasses for Rotherham Hospice. When it came time to bid on the recliner, a group of amazingly generous bidders crowd funded the chair and then donated it to the Hospice!
“In these austere times when for some, things could be better, the sincere kindness and generosity of so many, shown in our recent Live Charity Auction totally amazes us!”
said Richard and Michelle Smith, owners of The Shoe Room.
Team Billups and Challinor take to the skies
All the while, Amanda and Ethan Walker, a friend of the Billups family, were fundraising for their biggest challenge yet…
This summer, Amanda and Ethan took to the skies and participated in Rotherham Hospice’s first ever Wing Walk, standing atop a vintage airplane for ten minutes in a bold attempt to raise money for vital end-of-life care and bereavement support services for our Rotherham community.
Along with a few friends and daring participants, Amanda and Ethan raised an amazing amount in sponsorship and proceeds from the auction. Over £10,400 was raised in memory of David and Luke!
“We hoped for £400 and then £1,000 and have been totally blown away with how people have come together.”
Christine Billups said.
Pictured L-R: Amanda Challinor, Janice Thomas, Christine Billups, Michelle Smith, David Billups, Jordan (family friend), Richard Smith, Ethan Walker.
“People are so kind and want to help.” Amanda said. “We did this in memory of Luke and David, but it is a way for people to remember their own loved ones and show support for Rotherham Hospice.”
A big thank you to Amanda Challinor, David and Christine Billups and Ethan Walker for all their fundraising efforts.
And a big thank you to Richard and Michelle Smith for organising the Facebook Auction at the Shoe Room, with another massive thanks to the companies who donated prizes to the event:
FAIRFAX & FAVOR, Loake Shoemakers, R.M.Williams, Eden Mobility, K.D.Davis & Sons – The Greengrocers, Brittains Barker Shoes Ltd, Laura’s Confectionery, Lynnies Lunch Stop, The Rustic Pizza Co and B/W Premier Doncaster Mount Pleasant Hotel.
How you can help
As a charity, Rotherham Hospice relies on our amazing fundraisers like the Challinors and the Billups to raise the £3 million we need each year to keep supporting our Rotherham families. There are lots of ways to help the Hospice. You could:
- Become a regular giver
- Sign up to a Rotherham Hospice event
- Play the Local Hospice Lottery
- Run your own fundraiser
- Shop for pre-loved treasure in our charity shops
- Fundraise via your business
- Leave a gift in your will
However you choose to support Rotherham Hospice, we want to thank you for helping us provide vital end-of-life care and bereavement support.
How can you help?
There are many ways you can support us, whether it be through holding an event, playing in our lottery, volunteering, or donating!
