Family celebrate incredible year of fundraising

Stechford Mobility, a Birmingham-based company, has raised an incredible £7,214 for the Neonatal Unit at Heartlands Hospital.

The inspiration for the partnership came when Martyn Thomas, whose father David is the Managing Director of Stechford Mobility, spent time on the unit following the premature birth of his daughter Lyla. Lyla spent four weeks being treated on the Neonatal Unit, and Martyn and his wife Hannah were so impressed with the care that they received that they wanted to give something back.

The fundraising family and their friends and colleagues have already raised over £7,000 having taken on a number of very different challenges.

Martyn set himself a challenge along with his sister-in-law Amy of completing four Wolf Runs, a 10km run with extreme obstacles, one in each season of the year.

Martyn’s father David, along with a group of friends, decided to ride their Vespa scooters all the way from Birmingham to Edinburgh!

Setting off at 5am on a sunny July weekend, the team made it to Edinburgh by 3pm. David said: “It was a really fun day, our thanks go to Pitbull Motorcycles and Ian at Chas Mann for providing sponsorship and some important on-site mechanics for the scooter ride!”

Despite being only three years old, Lyla has taken on a fundraising event of her own. Along with her mum Hannah, she walked two miles around Castle Vale as part of the Mini’s First Miles event that was organised by Stacey Shaw, Senior Ward Sister on the Neonatal Unit.

The event saw parents and their babies and toddlers who had been born on the unit take on the two mile walk to raise funds for the unit. Stacey said: “Despite the rainy weather, the walkers had a great time and raised a fantastic amount of money.”

The family made a trip to the neonatal unit at Heartlands Hospital to present a cheque to the staff who cared for Lyla. Sian Averill, Fundraising Manager at Heartlands Hospital Charity, said: “Our thanks go to this amazing family for all of their fundraising efforts over the past year. They are all an inspiration and the money that they have raised will make a huge difference to tiny, vulnerable babies just like Lyla who are treated on the neonatal unit here at Heartlands.”

Find out more about how Heartlands Hospital Charity supports newborns in need.