Hospital staff take the plunge to raise funds for charity

4 March 2019

Two members of staff from SaTH are taking the plunge by swimming 22 miles – the equivalent of the width of the English Channel – to raise funds for diabetes research.

Becky Whitfield and Susan Gatensbury, who work in the Hummingbird Centre at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH), are taking on the Swim 22 Challenge for Diabetes UK.

Their challenge is to swim 22 miles in their local swimming pool between 22 February and 22 May – and be sponsored for every length. Becky, who is a Diabetic Retinopathy Practitioner, and Susan, a receptionist, have named their team The Hummingbirds, and they are hoping to raise around £150 for Diabetes UK.

Becky said: “We work with those living with diabetes and we know the challenges that they face on a daily basis, so we really wanted to raise money to help towards research into the condition.

“We have 12 weeks to complete the challenge so we are able to do it at our own pace. We are both really looking forward to getting started, and raising as much as we can for Diabetes UK.”

If anyone would like to sponsor Becky and Susan, they can do so via their JustGiving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thehummingbirds

Diabetes UK helps to make sure that people with diabetes are able to manage their condition as well as provide support and care for all those affected by diabetes, and develop new treatments.