Doncaster Residents set to raise money for local hospitals in sponsored walk

Chris Coles, alongside a group of his friends and family, will be walking the 21-mile trip from Whitby to Scarborough in memory of his late grandfather, with half of the money raised being donated to Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals’ (DBTH) Charity.

The walk will be taking place on November 14, and Chris has set a target of raising £400, which will be split equally between DBTH, which operates Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Bassetlaw Hospital and Montagu Hospital, and The Greyhounds Trust.

Chris’ grandfather, Cyril Coles who was affectionally known as ‘Jigger’ by friends and loved ones, was treated for oesophageal cancer by the General Surgery team on Ward 20 at Doncaster Royal Infirmary and sadly passed away nearly two years ago. Jigger often referred to those who cared for him on the ward as ‘angels’, and his family wanted to say thank you by raising some funds for the Trust.

Cyril Coles

Chris spoke about his grandfather, he said: “People were always asking me who your hero was when I was younger. Most people would say sports or movie stars, but mine was always my grandad. We were best friends and inseparable for a number of years.

“I wanted to do something to show that he has not been forgotten and to keep his memory alive. He loved going to the coast, as well as sea fishing and swimming, so I thought doing a sponsored coastal walk from Whitby to Scarborough in his memory would be fitting.”

Jigger also wrote a poem about the staff on ward 20 at Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI), entitled ‘Angels’, which reads:

As I lay in my bed at night

I knew with you there I’ll be alright

Your help, your love, your smiling face

Makes the world a much better place

The dedication that you all show

Just makes the darkest corners glow

The way you sooth away our pain

Just makes us want to try again

Your help is a never-ending care

I’ll always be grateful you were there

All angels are not up in the sky

I knew this and this is why

For here on earth there are plenty

All you have to do is visit ward twenty

Thanking you all so very much

 

Chris finished by passing his thanks to the members of staff at the DRI who helped his grandfather: “We know that the money raised will be going towards two good causes. He (Jigger) always said that the Hospital had given him his bonus years as it allowed him to meet some of his great grandchildren, without the treatment this would not have been possible.

“He was always very grateful, and it was something that he never took for granted, so I would like to thank everyone at the hospital for making this possible.”

Cyril Coles

If you want to donate to Chris’ coastal walk in memory of his grandfather you can do so via his Just Giving page here, or if you would like to get involved in fundraising for our hospitals, please contact the Communications Team on Tel: 01302 644244, email: DBTH.Charity@nhs.net or head to http://www.dbth.nhs.uk/charity