Local man sets big challenge in aid of Dove House Hospice

Nick Young, whose dad sadly was too unwell to make it to the hospice, has set a target of raising £10,000 for the charity his dad chose before dying. Fundraising like this is what the hospice relies on to be able to provide much-needed end of life care for families in Hull and East Yorkshire.

Nick said: “We all have reasons to do a challenge and to fundraise for a cause. These reasons are so personal, but I’ve learned we are not alone in our quests to push the boundaries and to raise awareness about a charity, we share our grief and we honour those we’re fighting for or remember those we’ve lost.

“This is where my story begins when I learned, along with my mum, sister, and family that my dad had terminal cancer. That was on 1st October 2021 when he went into the hospital with suspected Long COVID and came out with stage four cancer in the colon, liver and lung. On 25th March 2022, he succumbed. The man who had inspired so many had the heart of a lion and the strength of an ox was gone. We were dumbstruck. We felt alone and empty from the void that had been created. The chair that was always filled was empty. The voice that filled the room was silent.

“After learning of my dad’s illness, I pledged to ride the length of France, with a detour through the Alps to add some extra spice. I asked him to name his charity and he chose Dove House Hospice. A local charity that depends on charitable donations to provide patients and care for people at the end of their lives, providing therapies to help people with life-limiting illnesses improve their quality of life, or giving much-needed bereavement support to grieving families. They are a wonderful charity that my dad didn’t need the support of due to his sudden departure, but which many rely on every day.

“My quest was going to be solo until my good friends Gary Baugh and Paul Fitzpatrick thought my crazy idea was not so crazy (with a few adjustments). My brother-in-law Phil Kent then threw his hat in too. What’s not to like about 1,200 miles in 11 days whilst climbing 92,000 ft, which is over three times the height of Everest?! This ride starts from Calais on 2nd September 2022. This is a significant date as it would have been my dad’s 75th Birthday. We finish in Antibes on 13th September with my mum and family members to greet us.

“As if this wasn’t enough, my friend Rob Baddeley has pledged to do the National Three Peaks in 24 hours. The total walking distance is 23 miles and the total ascent is 10,052ft – twice the ascent of the Yorkshire Three Peaks, over a similar total walking distance. The total driving distance is 462 miles between Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, which I will do to support Rob.

“We hope you can support us by supporting Dove House Hospice. This is our challenge and our cause.”

Evie Gunnell, Fundraising Assistant at Dove House, had this to say: “We are delighted that Nick and his team are taking on such an incredible challenge in support of the hospice, which will raise not only vital funds for Dove House but also create awareness about the person-centred care that we provide to local families. We would like to wish them all the best of luck and thank them for their support; we could not continue to provide care to the local community without the generosity of people like them.”