Words by Smiley Team
To put a spring in the step of NHS workers, Leeds Hospitals Charity is calling on supporters to join their latest fundraising challenge, ‘Step For Your NHS’.
On average, a nurse walks 10,000 steps during their 12-hour shift. This summer the charity is asking the people of Leeds to match this, walking in their footsteps while fundraising.
“Our NHS heroes have worked incredibly hard over the past 18 months and definitely haven’t had much time off their feet - their steps really do count,” said Paul Watkins, director of fundraising at Leeds Hospitals Charity. “This challenge is a wonderful way for the people of Leeds to make their own steps count this summer, by keeping fit and raising funds for our NHS hospitals when they need us the most.”
To participate, fundraisers have three difficulty levels to choose from. By walking 20,000 steps, they will have dedicated a step to every member of NHS staff at Leeds Teaching Hospitals. For a more strenuous challenge, they can walk 30,000 steps, matching the average workweek of an NHS nurse.
For those feeling particularly energetic, walking 190,000 steps will match the journey of a hospital porter, delivering crucial supplies around the hospital throughout their average week of work.
The charity has left fundraisers free to complete the challenge in as much time as they need.
Upon signing up, the charity asks for an initial £5 donation from the participant. All the money raised will support projects strengthening healthcare in Leeds.
During the pandemic, frontline healthcare workers have felt more pressure than ever. Donations to the charity have helped lessen this burden, with over £1 million going towards staff health and wellbeing initiatives earlier this year.
This included paying for a clinical psychologist, Jason Miller, to support positive wellbeing. He said: “Although our staff have fantastic clinical and medical training, none of them were emotionally prepared for these months and months of hardship. Our staff are so dedicated and selfless, they want to do whatever they can to help their patients and some felt ashamed to say they were struggling.”
By signing up to this summer’s challenge, fundraisers will get a small idea of the workload NHS staff are dealing with. The charity hopes that enough fundraisers sign up to cover 2021 miles collectively, meaning a total of 4,268,352 steps.
Sign up to ‘Step For Your NHS’ at leedshospitalscharity.org.uk/step.
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