‘And I would walk'... all the way round the Isle of Wight – midwives take on challenge
A group of 11 midwives from St Helier Hospital will take part in the Isle of Wight challenge (a 67 mile walk around the island), to raise funds for vital new equipment for the unit.
The group of midwives, also known as One More Push, will be walking 106km (67 miles) around the coastal path of the Isle of Wight, non-stop and with no sleep! The walk will begin on the morning of Saturday 5 May morning and finish on Sunday, around 33 hours later.
The idea was hatched by Alison Hide, a longstanding member of St Helier’s maternity unit, who wanted to achieve something special before her 60th birthday in July. The Isle of Wight challenge falls coincidently on International Day of the Midwife, which she thought was a perfect way to celebrate both! Alison asked the other midwives if they wanted to get involved and they all signed up together.
Suzanne Powroznyk, Labour Ward Manager, said: “This is a fantastic way to raise awareness about the roles of a midwife and to celebrate the achievements of our midwives throughout the year. We usually celebrate International Day of the Midwife with an award ceremony and cakes, but this year we will be walking the whole day and night! The whole team has been supporting One More Push and we are doing this on behalf of all the midwives in our Trust.”
Donations have been very generously received from previous patients and supporters, and some included really kind messages. One said ‘a big thank you to the team for safely delivering my grandchild, 18 years ago’, with a £300 donation.
Suzanne said: “We are so proud of our unit and have trained hard to do the very best we can. We have been training hard over the past year, and are now currently walking marathon distances on a regular basis around the South Coast, Richmond Park and closer to home - and of course opting for the stairs instead of the lifts where possible.”
Taking it one step further, Midwife Hollie Williams, will also be shaving all her hair off after the walk! Hollie said: “Shaving my head is definitely something I am more nervous about doing, but if it helps to raise even more funds to make the unit better and help women have a better birthing experience, then I am willing to take on an extra challenge. In addition, I will be donating my hair to the Little Princess Trust who make beautiful wigs for children suffering from hair loss”.
Marion Louki, Director of Midwifery and Gynaecology said: “Midwives around the world work hard every day to ensure mothers and their families receive the quality care that they deserve. We are so proud of our midwifery team and wish One More Push the best of luck in the Isle of Wight challenge. I am so proud that the team is so committed to the unit, and are even willing to shave off their hair to fundraise!
“On behalf of the Trust, I’d like to say thank you to the group for all their hard work fundraising and also to everyone who has donated and supported the cause."
One more Push have so far raised over £5,000 and are aiming to reach £10,000. If you would like to support them by helping to improve the environment for our women, their families, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/onemorepush to donate. We really appreciate any donations received, no matter how big or small.
One More Push have decided that the equipment purchased will also come with a plaque to commemorate the support and donations made by everyone.
