Businessman to push a bed around Rochdale for Springhill Hospice

John Keogh, owner of domicillary care provider Bluebird Care Rochdale, will be pushing a bed to supermarkets around the Rochdale borough to raise funds for Springhill Hospice as part of its corporate challenge.

On Saturday 7 September, John will be pushing the bed from his Shawclough home to the Bluebird offices on Mellor Street, then to the supermarkets that have joined his bed push challenge. Once in store, he will spend the day raising much-needed funds for the hospice.

In June, John was part of a team that brought the bed back to Whitworth from Blackpool – a 52-mile journey which raised £3,200 for the hospice.

The Blackpool to Whitworth bed push raised the funds in an incredible six hours with 40 people pushing the bed in teams of eight. John was on the third leg – 17 miles, from close to the Tickled Trout into Blackburn.   

He said: “The idea for the bed push had been long in the thinking, but when the people of Whitworth managed to get a bed, the possibility of it became real. 

“If there is one thing that the good people of Heywood, Middleton, Rochdale and Whitworth can get behind, it is this wonderful facility, which gives so much to so many.

“I would love to raise £1,000 for the hospice.”

 

 

As part of its 38-mile trip around Rochdale, the bed has already been pushed to Morrisons, Heywood, and Asda, Rochdale, raising around £420 so far.

John will next be pushing the bed to Morrisons in Rochdale, a 7.8-mile round trip, on Saturday (7 September), before heading to Tesco at Sudden, Rochdale, a week later.

From the Sudden store, the bed will be pushed to the Tesco Extra in Middleton before heading to the Sportsman pub in Whitworth, a 16.9-mile journey.

By the time the bed is returned to the Sportsman, it will have travelled a total of 90.7 miles.

The Sportsman will be making a cheque presentation on 14 September for the hospice, which requires £3.2m a year – or £8,928 a day – to keep the doors open.

Sophie Ansley, Corporate and Partnerships Fundraiser at Springhill Hospice, said: “We are in awe of John’s commitment and enthusiasm in raising money as part of the hospice’s first ever corporate challenge.

“Tackling a bed push through the streets of Rochdale is by no means an easy task so to do this over a number of weeks is definitely a challenge. Keep up the brilliant work, John!”

To donate, please visit the hospice web site and enter “Bedpush corporate challenge” as the reason for your donation.

• springhill.org.uk/donate-to-us