A team of staff members from across the Foundation will participate in the Wakefield Hospice 10k on Sunday, March 24th as part of Team Tom. The team was created by Charlotte Rigby, a teaching assistant at Wakefield Grammar Pre-Preparatory School. Charlotte’s husband, Tom Rigby, passed away in April 2023 aged just 40 after battling bowel cancer. The family were supported during Tom’s treatment journey by Wakefield Hospice, an organisation which provides essential palliative and end-of-life care to people with serious illnesses.

Charlotte expresses her gratitude towards Wakefield Hospice, stating “The care we received from Wakefield Hospice was PHENOMENAL and I want to give something back by raising money to support their amazing work.” Team Tom, consisting of 34 members, including Tom and Charlotte’s family, friends, and colleagues, will run the Wakefield Hospice 10k to honour Tom’s memory. They have surpassed their initial goal of £2000 and have currently raised £5683.

Charlotte bravely shares her family’s experience: “Tom was diagnosed with bowel cancer in March 2022 and started his chemo journey in May. Throughout his whole treatment journey, Tom was committed, brave, strong and always full of humour. He was determined to still have a full family life and spend as much time with our two young boys as possible.

On 1st March 2023 Tom and I attended his consultant appointment which was to be the last. She told us that the cancer had taken too much of a hold and therefore no further treatment could prolong the inevitable.

I can’t thank Wakefield Hospice enough for the amazing care and support that they provided to our family throughout this extremely difficult time – they couldn’t do enough for us. All the staff from the cleaners to the consultants were so kind, considerate, uplifting and professional. They knew how important family was to Tom and they gave him a room with an enclosed garden so our boys could visit and play outside. They provided toys so the boys could draw pictures, and create models all whilst visiting Daddy.

When it came to Tom’s final days, I was able to stay with him, they would make me up a bed and turn down our room just like a 5-star hotel. The hospice staff are angels, nothing was too much trouble and they made us feel loved and looked for just like you should when you are dealing with and caring for a dying loved one. Tom passed away peacefully as I held his hand on 6th April 2023.

Tom leaves a legacy behind in his boys and he will forever be remembered for the humorous, hardworking, kind, generous and all round good man that he was.”

If you would like to donate, please visit the Team Tom Just Giving page here:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/charlotte-rigby-1705735971551?utm_source=IG