Aylesbury man set to complete London Marathon raising funds for well-known local hospice group

Running the world-famous race has been two years in the making for Howard Roberts who was all set to go in 2020.

He is raising money for Rennie Grove Hospice Care and has already met his impressive £2,000 target.

Howard’s wife Jen is a nurse working for the charity which covers Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.

Rennie Grove hospices look after adults and children with life-limiting illnesses, 20 runners at this year’s event are supporting the charity.

Howard said: “I have been a runner since my late thirties and have always wanted to run the London Marathon so I was delighted to get a charity space with Rennie Grove for 2020. I was so disappointed when the race was cancelled that year, and it feels like it has been a long road to the start line. It has been hard training during the summer – especially during the heatwaves – but I’m now ready and looking forward to the day of the race.

“I have chosen to fundraise for Rennie Grove as my wife, Jen, is one of their wonderful nurses. I see the unwavering commitment she gives to supporting patients and their families and I know what a huge help that is to people during one of the most difficult times of their lives. I’m so proud of the work that she and her colleagues do, and by running the London Marathon I want to do my bit to ensure that other patients and families can continue to benefit from the support and kindness offered by Rennie Grove.”

His fundraising page can be found online here.

Howard will be joined on the day by Ian Greengrass, 53, who is running his third London Marathon this year. He has chosen to fundraise for Rennie Grove after its nurses cared for his father at home in Longwick. He says: “It means a lot of me to be fundraising for Rennie Grove as the Hospice at Home team

cared for my dad at the end of his life, earlier this year. During his short illness the Rennie Grove nurses looked after him and allowed him to die with dignity at home in his own bed, which was exactly as he wished.”