A VOLUNTEER has dedicated her latest knitted post box topper to a woman running in the London Marathon in aid of St Richard’s Hospice.
Kate Blance from Castlemorton will be taking part in the London Marathon on April 26 to raise funds for the hospice.
She passes the post box in Malvern on her training runs.
The crafty knitter responsible for the topper is Mandy Harding who volunteered for St Richard’s Hospice from 2011 to late 2025. She heard about Kate’s marathon efforts from a friend at a knit and natter group.
Kate said: “It’s amazing and I feel very honoured!
“In 2018, St Richard’s provided my father with both outpatient and in-patient care, supporting not only him but our whole family with exceptional compassion and kindness. Their care is available 24 hours a day and continues through bereavement, offering comfort when it is needed most.
“St Richard’s Hospice is funded entirely by donations, and every contribution helps them continue this vital work. This will be the first marathon I have ever run, and as I turn 60 this year it feels like a meaningful challenge to take on. I have previously run several half marathons, but this one is truly special.”
Mandy said: “The topper will stay out throughout April, until the London Marathon is over.
“I’ve added a label to it explaining what it’s about and adding Kate’s fundraising page and a QR code, so hopefully a few passers-by might donate.
“I started volunteering for St Richard’s when I stopped working full-time. Partly it was to get me out of the house and mixing with people, and partly because I have a sister who is chronically disabled with MS.
“Because we live a long way apart, I cannot support her, so I decided to support people closer to me. I see it sort of as a ‘social bank’.
“If I pay in here with my time by volunteering, my sister can withdraw with a local volunteer’s time where she lives. If volunteers didn’t exist all over the country, everybody’s lives would be somewhat more difficult in their hours of need.”
Kate has already raised over £2,500 for St Richard’s and has set up a fundraising page.
Visit justgiving.com/page/katherine-blance to donate.
