29.09.2023, Norfolk UK: Last week, a team of seven trekkers walked 100 miles for the UK’s 54 children’s hospices including East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). The team, made up of crafting superstore Hobbycraft’s leadership team, and leading children’s palliative care charity Together for Short Lives’ Chief Executive, are aiming to raise £50,000 to support the UK’s 54 children’s hospices. Setting off in Thetford on Friday 22 September, the trekkers – known as the ‘Magnificent Seven’ – completed the Angles Way Walk through Norfolk and Suffolk, finishing in Great Yarmouth on Monday 25 September. The trek is their eighth, which has so far totalled 800 miles for seriously ill children and their families across the country. One family in particular were cheering on the team from their local children’s hospice, EACH. Five-year-old Libby, from Peterborough, lives with Bohring-Opitz syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects the development of many parts of the body. Libby needs 24/7 care and is unable to sit, crawl or walk. She is severely delayed, having to have someone watch her at all times to check she is safe. She also needs postural care, is being treated for seizures and is fed through a feeding tube 16-hours-a-day. Libby’s mum Kirsty said: “EACH is a massive part of our lives. Since that first devastating diagnosis when Libby was just three months old, we’ve been supported in so many ways by the incredible team there. From symptom management and hydrotherapy sessions for Libby, to sibling days for Libby’s brother Jake and respite stays for the whole family, I’m really not sure where we’d be without them. “It’s heartwarming to know that there are fantastic people out there like those from Hobbycraft and Together for Short Lives who are going the extra mile to support families like mine across the country.” Dominic Jordan, Chief Executive Officer of Hobbycraft, said: “We know first-hand from 10 years of partnership with Together for Short Lives just how much of a lifeline hospices are for families of seriously ill children. They are places full of life and joy, and give families the time and space to make precious memories – something that sits at the very heart of our partnership. While the trek really put us to the test, it is nothing compared to the hardship these families face every day, and we are so proud to play our part in supporting them.” The Magnificent Seven were supported by Hobbycraft colleagues across the country, including those in Kings Lynn and Cambridge, who took on their own fundraising over the weekend to help reach the £50,000 target. Since 2013, Hobbycraft has partnered with leading children’s palliative care charity Together for Short Lives. Each of their 116 stores is twinned with a local children’s hospice and Hobbycraft teams up and down the country have raised over £2.5 million so far through the partnership to support seriously ill children and their families, cared for by hospices like EACH. Andy Fletcher, Chief Executive of Together for Short Lives, said: “We’ve been so fortunate to have the incredible support of Hobbycraft for over 10 years and in that time, we’ve witnessed such compassion and creativity from them, not to mention eight years of trekking! The Angles Way Walk was challenging, but we were motivated every step of the way knowing we were walking through the vast area EACH covers, and just how many families they help every single day. “I am so grateful to my fellow trekkers, and to the Hobbycraft teams up and down the country who fundraised throughout the weekend. The money raised will help us in our mission to make sure families like Libby’s have access to the best palliative care, when and when they need it.” For more information or to sponsor the trek team, head to https://www.justgiving.com/page/hobbycraft-team-1691073354541
