Thanks as 21 runners raise funds for Vale hospice in memory of mum

The group, which trained three times a week with the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Couch to 5k programme, was set up by Cynthia Ellis’s son, Mark Ellis, after she was cared for at the Penarth hospice before losing her battle with leukaemia earlier this year.

Mr Ellis, a community investment officer for the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “It was a brilliant day and event. The 21 runners from the ‘Couch to 5k’ group all crossed the line with smiles on their faces. To see them through from week one to now has been amazing and for many of them it has changed their lives.

“The group, Julianna’s Joggers, aims to carry on with their running and this is a tribute to their commitment to the cause.

“Mum was the most selfless, lovely lady and always saw the positives in everything she did. She fought with dignity and courage, and even in her final weeks at the hospice she kept her spirits up until the end.

“Mum would’ve loved to be able to cheer us on at the 10k and always supported us as a family with everything we did, so it feels like a good way to celebrate her life and raise money for a worthy cause.”

The Marie Curie Hospice, Cardiff and the Vale, cares for around 1,000 people each year, including people staying in the hospice and those visiting for the day to use the hospice’s day therapy unit services.

The charity also provides care for people in the community, and supports more than 2,400 people living with a terminal illness in Wales each year.

Hannah Leckie, community fundraiser at Marie Curie, said: “It’s fantastic that Mark and his team chose to support Marie Curie after his mum was cared for by us, and we’re so glad that we we’re able to be there for Cynthia and her family at the end of her life.

“Without people like Mark we wouldn’t be able to offer care to the people across Wales who are living with a terminal illness, so we’re incredibly grateful for the support.”