Whether you work from home or in the office or a bit of both, we all need to remember to take care of our wellbeing. It is too easy to forget about looking after ourselves when we are engrossed in our work. Just stop for a moment and have a look at some of these simple and easy self-massage techniques. Stress Headache Depending on what is more comfortable for you, choose your thumb, your fist, or a tennis ball. Find the tender spot in front of your ears (which is on the same level of your eyebrows). Once you find the tender spot, rub in circular motions applying constant pressure for 2-3 minutes. Move up towards the top of your head, one inch at a time and repeat. Taking deep slow breaths will also help you to relax. Scalp Massage There is nothing more relaxing than a scalp massage – it helps to stimulate blood flow and ease the tense muscles around your head. Place the heel of your palms under your hair on either side of your head near your temples. Push your scalp up towards the ceiling, hold a few seconds and release. Work in sections, until you have covered your entire scalp. Also, massaging your scalp with your fingers as if you are washing your hair is very comforting. Jaw Clenching A high majority of us tend to tense our jaws without thinking. Relax the muscles in your face by placing your fingers just under your cheekbones, gently applying pressure, with circular motion, as you drag your fingers down towards the corner of your lips. Repeat several times, finally pulling down to a spot next to your lips. Smile! This is a good way of relaxing your jaw and face muscles and if no-one is looking pull all sorts of faces mouth open or shut! Neck and Shoulders Probably the most common complaint we see – neck and shoulder pain as a result slouching over a computer. As human beings we are not designed to sit down for hours at a time. Start off with taking a deep breath, drop your shoulders and slowly tuck your chin to your chest, this will gently be stretching your neck. Please be aware to do this gently and stop if it ever feels uncomfortable. Then place your fingertips to the back of your neck where your shoulder begins. Press in firmly and hold for several moments, releasing when the muscle feels more relaxed or after ten long seconds. Finish with rolling your shoulders forward and backward several times. Hand Massage Our hands often get forgotten about – time to give them some TLC. Place your thumb in the centre of your inner wrist, rub gentle circles across that spot on both wrists. Next, take your fingers and move to the heel of your palm, apply pressure in a gentle circular motion. Take your thumb and rub at the first knuckle of your thumb, and rub in a circular motion for twenty seconds, move to the next knuckle and finally move to the nail and repeat the motion, then gently pull the finger to stretch the joint. Remember to repeat on each finger. Make a point of taking regular breaks and practice these simple techniques, you will soon feel so much better. Image provided by Hands On At Work
It may be perks such as private medical insurance, gym membership, activities such as yoga classes or massage sessions, all of which are commendable but are you starting from a good place? For any wellbeing strategy to be successful, staff need to feel comfortable with what is being offered and that comes from being in a supportive, open and honest environment.
Organise regular one to one sessions between managers and staff to encourage discussion about the impact of workloads, targets and deadlines which are often the root cause of workplace stress. If staff are feeling anxious or worried, they are less likely to engage in wellbeing activities.
Have regular staff forums to find out what staff would like to see in place. Encouraging everyone to be part of the process promotes feelings of inclusivity and being part of a team.
Create Wellbeing Champions to keep the conversations going.
Create an online anonymous survey, ask what people would like to see or to comment on wellbeing activities already in place.
Provide training for Mental Health First Aiders to be a port of call for anyone struggling with mental health issues. This is particularly important following the pandemic where many suffered with their mental health and which is still having an impact on their working lives.
Many businesses now have a hybrid model where there is a mixture of staff working from home and in the office. It is important to think of activities that include everyone, for example, something they can take part in online so it doesn’t matter if you are taking part from your screen at home or in the office. It’s important no-one feels excluded.
Don’t forget social interactions are just as important as work. Arrange social events, competitions and challenges to improve morale and team building. It shows downtime is part of the culture and wellbeing ethos.
Why is wellbeing at work so important? The days of a good job being defined by a decent salary alone are long gone, people want to know what else can an employer offer, and wellbeing is an important factor. Get it right and you will reap financial benefits with staff retention, better engagement which reflects in great customer service and a motivated staff force. This is a great place to start, build on top of that other activities everyone wants to take part in, and you have the beginnings of a great health and wellbeing programme. Images provided by hands on at work, pixabay
In our everyday lives, most of us have a full mind, so many distractions as our energies and time are pulled in different directions, from work schedules, family obligations, taking in the daily news, conversations etc. All of this creates ‘noise’ around us, it’s difficult to think clearly and make plans when there is so much to think about. We all need to just stop for a moment and take stock, but it is so difficult to allow ourselves time to do that. One way of doing so and to reap the benefits is to practice being mindful. What are the benefits of Mindfulness? It allows us to notice and be aware of what is going on around us now, in the present, and to make decisions on where our focus needs to be. Multi-tasking is not being mindful, it’s inefficient, and often when we are trying to do too many things at once, our mind is not clear and we end up doing less than if we concentrated on one thing at a time. We are less productive leading to feelings of anxiety and stress because we have not achieved what we want to do or what we perceive is expected of us. Ways to practice mindfulness at work.
Plan ahead. Think about the tasks you need to fulfil the following day or for the week ahead. I think most of us have come across a system which is often called the ‘Eisenhower Grid’, a 4 square grid which allows you to compartmentalise tasks of urgency and importance so that you can prioritise accordingly. This is a form of mindfulness as you are allowing yourself permission to concentrate on specific tasks rather than an overwhelming feeling of having to get everything done at once.
Turn off email alerts. Allocate a time of day and for a certain period in which you check and respond to your emails. Create your own alert where the person sending you an email will receive an automatic response to say that you will be responding to emails at a certain time of day due to your busy workload.
Time blocking. If you need to concentrate on a particular task and you do not want to be interrupted, make sure it is blocked out in your diary and let your colleagues know not to disturb you during that time.
There are also simple ways to practice mindfulness whether you are at work or at home.
Focus on your breathing. It’s surprising how restful and peaceful you feel when you do this, so if you are feeling anxious or stressed, take a moment to concentrate on your breathing to help calm your mind.
Sit quietly (or stand, it doesn’t matter where you are) and if you feel your mind is wandering, just acknowledge that is what it is doing and try to bring yourself back to the present moment. It’s not easy to start with, but you will get better with practice.
Have time for other people and give them your undivided attention to properly listen to what they have to say. Nothing worse than trying to have a conversation with someone when you know they are distracted by their phone or something else going on around them. Don’t be that person!
Make mindfulness a daily habit whether at work or at home and feel the difference! Image provided by hands on at work, pixabay
Providing a safe, welcoming, non-clinical space in which people experiencing poor mental health can receive the support and information they need. Our REST Hubs, located in Norwich, Thetford and Aylsham are open for anyone to walk in regardless of situation, background and circumstances.To find out more about our REST Hubs and the service provided please visit https://www.norfolkandwaveneymind.org.uk/
Pioneering collaboration combines AI-enabled invention tech with engineering expertise
Iprova supports creation of breakthrough inventions, Lotus Engineering adds proof of concept, design and engineering of products based on them
Targeting the transportation sector in its widest sense – from e-scooters to autonomous truck
Hethel, UK and Lausanne, Switzerland – 1000 BST, Wednesday 27 July 2022 Lotus Engineering and Iprova have announced a partnership which, for the first time, combines the latest AI-enabled way of creating breakthrough inventions with the ability to develop proof of concept, design and engineering of products based on them. Targeting the transportation sector in its widest sense – from e-scooters to autonomous trucks – the two companies will deploy their respective engineering expertise and data-driven invention technology. The pioneering joint venture will promote innovation at key points of industry disruption, then productionise the resulting inventions more quickly and efficiently than ever before. The products we all use every day – from mobile devices through to domestic appliances – come to market using technologies drawn from a wide range of business fields. The same is increasingly true for transportation solutions, which now integrate components from the worlds of mobile tech, sustainability and many others. Lotus has a wealth of experience in identifying and adapting ideas from other fields of industry. Most famously, inspiration for the invention of the now ubiquitous automotive adhesive bonding process pioneered on the Lotus Elise resulted from its development team looking at the non-stick coating used on cookware, then combining this concept with further insights from other domains. By contrast, Iprova uses data and algorithms to inspire potential inventions and, because this is done in real-time, they are created much sooner and more reliably than using traditional methods. Iprova’s Invention Studio platform leverages AI, data and automation to transform what can often be very manual and slow-moving invention processes. Its data-driven approach to invention brings a systematic and repeatable process to creating breakthrough inventions across the transportation sector. Lotus Engineering has world-class prototyping, proof-of-concept and development expertise based on more than four decades of experience as a global consultancy. It provides comprehensive consultancy services to many of the world’s OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers and is internationally recognised for its long-standing contribution to ground-breaking engineering and innovative vehicle development. Together, Lotus Engineering and Iprova now offer a unique proposition which provides a comprehensive and integrated solution for companies that need to ‘invent big and implement fast’ in order to stay ahead of their competition. Commenting on the partnership, Julian Nolan, CEO, Iprova, said: “Lotus leads the world in driving dynamics and engagement by enabling the driver to sense feedback from the road. Our invention platform, Invention Studio, transforms the process of invention by enabling engineers and scientists to sense inventive signals as they occur, in real-time, even if they are very distant to the target invention area. This enables sector-defining inventions to be created with great speed and efficiency. There are no prizes for coming second in the race to invent and implement and, for this reason, partnering with Lotus Engineering makes perfect sense. Together we are able to invent and implement faster, minimising the time from opportunity identification through to product launch.” Mark Stringer, Commercial Director, Lotus Engineering, added: “Our clients have told us that they want to make bold and breakthrough products at key points of disruption. It’s a process driven by creativity and therefore a need to invent. Iprova’s technology delivers this efficiently at scale and so this collaboration adds a vital new element to our portfolio of consultancy services.” He added: “Just as there is a need for invention, there is also a need for implementation – to develop proof-of-concept prototypes and then engineer products. This is what Lotus Engineering provides. Our own technical services range from design and concept engineering through to full-scale industrialisation, attribute development and even manufacturing. This partnership with Iprova means we can better support our clients throughout the product development process, aiding collaboration and ingenuity right from the very start.” Image provided by Lotus
A Greater Anglia train. Credit: Greater Anglia Football fans going to the first matches of the season on Saturday 30 July are being strongly advised to make other travel arrangements as 90 per cent of Greater Anglia services will not be running due to a train drivers’ strike. The 24-hour strike by rail union ASLEF will affect fans travelling to see East Anglian teams Colchester United, Norwich City, Cambridge United, Ipswich Town and Peterborough United play the first matches of the season on Saturday. People going to see Lady Gaga at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium on Saturday should also find alternative transport to get the stadium, due to the strike. Greater Anglia is advising people to avoid travelling on its trains due to disruption caused by the strike. On Saturday 30 July, Greater Anglia will be unable to run any services between Cambridge and London Liverpool Street and there will be no services on any branch or regional lines either. The only services running – all heavily reduced – will be the Norwich-London intercity service, a stopping service between Colchester and London Liverpool Street, the Southend Victoria-London Liverpool Street service and the Stansted Express between Stansted Airport and London. There will be no rail replacement buses to replace trains not running due to the strike. Morning services on Sunday 31 July will also be affected by the strike, with most services starting later than usual at 7/7.30am. Services should be back to normal by early afternoon. Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director said: “We know that football fans like to travel to matches by train and that there are also many events around the region and in London which people have been looking forward to. “Unfortunately, with our train drivers on strike we can only run a very limited service and so our advice is to avoid travelling on our trains. “We are very sorry for the continued disruption this industrial action is causing our customers. The industry is working to resolve the disputes.” Anyone with train tickets for Saturday can use them on Friday, Sunday or Monday, change them to a different day or apply to the retailer where they bought them for a free refund. Train drivers are also due to strike at Arriva Rail London, which operates London Overground services, GWR, Hull Trains, LNER, Southeastern and West Midlands Trains on Saturday 30 July. ASLEF has announced they will be holding another strike on Saturday 13 August, while further RMT strikes have been announced for Thursday 18 and Friday 20 August. The rail union TSSA will be taking industrial action short of a strike from Thursday 18 to Friday 20 August. More information including timetables and refund details are available from greateranglia.co.uk/strikes Service information for Saturday 30 July There will be no services on the following routes on Saturday 30 July:
Between London Liverpool Street and Cambridge North
Between Norwich and Cambridge/Stansted Airport, Sheringham, Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth
Between Ipswich and Cambridge, Peterborough, Felixstowe and Lowestoft
Between Marks Tey and Sudbury
All other branch lines: Hertford East to Broxbourne, Braintree to Witham, Southminster to Wickford, Harwich Town to Manningtree, Clacton/Walton-on-the-Naze to Colchester, Colchester Town to Colchester, Meridian Water to Stratford.
The following services will be running:
The Intercity service between Norwich and London Liverpool Street will be one train an hour, with first and last trains from Norwich at 08.00 and 19.00, and from Liverpool Street at 10.30 and 21.30
The stopping service between Colchester and London Liverpool Street will be one train an hour, with first and last trains from Colchester at 08.13 and 20.13, and from Liverpool Street at 10.00 and 22.00
The service between Southend Victoria and London Liverpool Street will be one train an hour, with first and last trains from Southend Victoria at 08.13 and 22.00, and from Liverpool Street at 09.47 and 23.45
The Stansted Express service between London and Stansted Airport will be one train an hour, with first and last trains from Stansted Airport at 05.30 and 00.30, and from Liverpool Street at 04.10 and 23.25
Written by Jordan, founder of Curlyworm Creative I have firsthand experience of working in environments where employee wellbeing is not supported. One workplace focused on “benefits” such as a pool table, beer fridge, and dartboard while putting intense pressure on employees to continuously over-achieve and creating unhealthy competition between teams. Another outwardly stated that supporting employees’ personal lives matters while simultaneously expecting employees to work additional hours and excluding employees from decisions that directly impacted them. Both experienced high staff turnover and an overall toxic environment. Now that I run my own company, I strive hard to create a culture that supports well-being and makes the people working with me feel valued. Wellbeing isn’t about benefits When I was an employee, the supposed benefits weren’t what attracted me to companies. Instead, it was how they treated their people. And I’m not talking about a good bonus structure or enforced fun team-building activities; these are benefits. Supporting well-being is about making sure people feel they are genuinely supported and valued. Creating a culture where people feel they can raise issues, ask questions, and ask for help when they’re struggling. Where management takes responsibility for their role in maintaining team morale and helping individuals through both personal and work-related issues. Where micromanagement is a thing of the past. Where the correct systems are in place to help people do their job the best way they can. Where small victories are celebrated every day. Where saying “thank you” is normalised. Where it’s understood you can’t leave your personal life at the door because we are not two different people at work and at home. Where people feel valued as individuals. It starts with management Creating a true no-blame culture has a substantial positive impact on supporting well-being. This has to come from management. In the two workplaces I mentioned in the introduction, blame was a significant aspect of the culture. No one wanted to take responsibility when things went wrong, especially management. It came directly from the top, and department heads put pressure on team leaders, resulting in the team members feeling that pressure three-fold. As the owner of Curlyworm Creative, if something goes wrong I try to make sure I understand why. I don’t blame anyone. Because, at the end of the day, if something has failed to happen or not happened the way it should, I am the one to blame. It’s my name above the door and, more often than not, it’s because my team isn’t getting something they need. Over the last 2.5 years, we’ve grown from it being just me to a team of three. This means we’ve had to implement new processes that support how my team works best. Whenever we find a hole, I talk to the team to find out what went wrong and what they need to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Gradually we’re ending up with fewer holes. I also talk to the team about every major project before we agree to take it on. Their opinions matter because they’re the ones who’ll be carrying out some of the work. So if they don’t think it’s the right fit for us, they’re probably right. The same goes for any changes to procedures – they get a say because they’re using the systems daily. They have to work for my team. Working when sick One of the biggest issues I saw with well-being in previous workplaces was how they approached illness. I’m not sure where it came from, but in both places, there was an expectation that to take a sick day you had to be on your deathbed. Which meant the unwell person in question came into the office and spread their illness to everyone else, impacting everyone else’s productivity in the long run. It also meant that it took everyone significantly longer to get over an illness than it would have done if they’d felt they could stay home and rest. At Curlyworm Creative, I refuse to work when I’m sick and, as a result, my team know they can take time off for illness too. At the start of 2022 we, unfortunately, all came down with COVID at the same time. So rather than expecting everyone to power through, I shut the business until we’d all recovered. It slightly delayed some projects but meant the team could concentrate on getting better instead of worrying about work. Mental health is health Trigger warning – depression and suicide. I have experienced ill mental health. I had depression a few years ago and struggled to get out of bed for months. While an incident sparked the episode, I have a feeling it had been bubbling under the surface for a number of years. To help my recovery, I asked my manager at the time if I could work from home. This request was denied. I was told that I had to return to the office or they would have to go down the disciplinary route. This was despite the fact I was having suicidal thoughts and genuinely couldn’t get out of bed most days. Needless to say, I did not feel supported by my employer. This lack of support contributed to my ill mental health by applying unnecessary pressure on me to recover quickly or risk losing my job. Thankfully I recovered and am in a much better mental headspace now. But that experience has not left me. When I brought on my team I emphasised that mental health is important and that they should let me know if they are ever struggling. And they do. As a result, I know what’s going on with them and can schedule work accordingly. Micromanagement is a waste of time One of the things I’ve never understood is micromanagement. It screams of a lack of trust and if you don’t trust the people you’ve employed, why did you employ them in the first place? I’ve experienced my manager listening in to my calls, being questioned about how long it’s taken me to return from meetings, and many other micro-management issues. It isn’t motivating. All the work my team does for Curlyworm Creative can be done whenever they want. It is truly flexible. One team member is sometimes productive at 9am and sometimes creativity doesn’t strike until 11pm. As long as deadlines are met I don’t care when the work is completed. Because I trust that he will get the work done. And he’s never let me down. I give him the information he needs to do his job and the rest is up to him. If there ever is an issue I try to get to the bottom of why it’s happened and what we can do to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Treat others how you would like to be treated At its very core, supporting employee well-being is about treating them as humans. If you’re expecting them to do something you wouldn’t be prepared to do yourself, you’re not supporting their well-being, you’re punishing them. If you are asking them to do something that doesn’t work for them because “that’s how we do things here”, that’s not supporting their well-being. Your employees are human beings, treat them as such. Images provided by Curlyworm Creative
A kind-hearted mother and daughter have raised an eye-watering £40,000 for charity after selling homemade goods at car-boot sales across Norfolk. Helen Dugdale and mum Evelyn, who died in February, have been supporting East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) since 1994. That was when they attended their first boot sale and they have been making, collecting and selling items at them ever since. Helen said: “I’m proud to reach this milestone but it’s tinged with sadness, as this is something I did with my mother. “It meant so much to us and it’s something we worked closely on, spending a lot of time making items, packing and unpacking our car and, of course, doing the actual boot sales. “It’s something we always enjoyed and I plan to carry on doing in the future, although obviously it won’t be the same. “Fundraising like this is entrenched in our family and my mother and I shared a mutual passion and commitment to EACH. “We’ve never done it for recognition or pats on the back. We just felt it was the right thing to do.” Helen, who lives in Smallburgh, and Evelyn experimented with various boot sales over the years but their favourite was at Ormesby St Michael. They were given a free pitch because they were raising money for charity. Since 1994, they have been selling items on a near weekly basis, as well as on Bank Holidays. They also had a ten-year spell of selling goods at a village sale. “People often ask if we have a personal connection to the charity and the honest answer is that no, we don’t,” said Helen. “There are a great number of charities out there that need help but this one just strikes a particular chord, because it helps children. “They haven’t done anything to deserve the situation they find themselves in, so we wanted to do anything we could to help. “EACH always needs help and support, given how little funding comes from statutory sources (just 16%). “To have raised so much is an overwhelming feeling.” Helen and Evelyn always sold a mixture of things, from homemade marmalade to knitted and craft items. “Then there are other things people donate to us,” added Helen. “People leave boxes on my doorstep and I don’t know what it is until I’ve opened it. “I wouldn’t like to say how many boot sales I’ve been to in my life. The irony is that I didn’t really like them before starting this fundraising! “My target is always to raise at least £50. That represents a good day. “Sometimes it’s more and sometimes less, so it tends to even itself out. The most we’ve ever raised is £170.” Evelyn died suddenly on 5th February. She would have celebrated her 88th birthday the following week. Helen became her mother’s carer in later life and said: “I’m very proud of all she achieved. She was a born carer with a kind heart. “She and I have met so many wonderful people together over the years and it’s given us a lot of pleasure.” Tim Jenkins, EACH community fundraiser for Norfolk and North Suffolk, said: “Our heartfelt thanks go to Helen and Evelyn. “To have raised so much money is a wonderful achievement, and we’re also grateful to everyone who has helped and supported them along the way. “We rely on voluntary donations for the majority of our income and the more funds we have, the bigger difference we can make to families, children and young people across Norfolk and the rest of East Anglia. “That’s why wonderful contributions like this truly make the world of difference.” Photo credit – Mike Page
From left – Tom, Nic, Ethan, and club chairman Brian Fenn Golfers steeled themselves for a sapping 100-hole challenge and raised £1,350 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). Swaffham Golf Club professional Nic Cains, assistant Ethan Roberts and member Tom Rudge took on the marathon round and teed off just before 4am on Monday, 4th July. Their mission was to play 100 holes in a single day and after Ethan spectacularly eagled the first hole, the last putt of the day was sunk by Tom at 5.17pm. The trio were thrilled to raise so much and delighted to play their part in a fundraiser organised as part of the club’s centenary celebrations. Swaffham GC member Malcolm Tibble, who is on the club’s centenary committee, said: “The trio were in top form and ably supported by club members who caddied, scored and kept spirits up – especially towards the end of this marathon effort. “After just over 13 hours of non-stop golf, Nic’s pedometer was showing 54,000 steps. “It was a phenomenal effort equating to five and a half rounds!” Pedlars Hall Cafe provided the team with breakfast baps, sandwiches and cake to keep energy levels topped up through the day. Other sponsors were local businesses AIR Accountancy Services and Swaffham Carpets and Bedding Centre. Pictured from left are Tom, Nic, who first had the idea, Ethan and club chairman Brian Fenn. Kyle Edge, another club member, had been due to join the trio but could not take part because of injury. Swaffham GC also organised a golf-themed family fun day in aid of EACH, which supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk. It took place on Sunday, 10th July. The course took on a very different look as it hosted a variety of games and attractions. Once again, the emphasis was on having a good day out while also raising funds for EACH. In glorious weather, a good crowd came to support this new venture. The most popular challenges were the crazy putting and chipping into a paddling pool – appropriate given the searing heat. There were also lots of tri-golf activities and brief taster sessions with club pro Nic. Face painter Hayley, from Sunshine Artists, was kept busy throughout the afternoon and roving entertainer Neil Reeve wowed visitors young and old with magic and balloon-modelling. The club also welcomed one of their event sponsors, Uncle Luke, with one of his distinctive sign-written vehicles. Three businesses supported the event – The Red Lion, in Swaffham, Energise Pentney Health Club and Day Spa and Uncle Luke’s Signs and Stickers. Malcolm added: “Thank you all for your support and also to everyone who came along and donated so generously. By the end of the week, over £1,800 had been raised for EACH. Awesome!” Images provided by EACH – Swaffham golf club
A bereaved mum is preparing for an emotionally-draining run in memory of her unborn child and to show support for a leading children’s hospice. Nancy Monk is plotting a 13.7-mile trek and plans to take in Corton and Gorleston, in addition to leaving a keepsake on a grave at Lowestoft cemetery. The 36-year-old, who lives in Northamptonshire, is raising funds for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). She is taking on the run to provide a positive end to a “shocking” few months, following the death of her baby when she was just 17 weeks pregnant. He or she was due to be born via C-section on 15th September. “I used to do a lot of running and regularly signed up for half-marathons,” said Nancy. “Then, when I had my son, six years ago, it came to a bit of a halt. “Everything went out the window and I lost my way in terms of fitness. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to return to and I’ve been sparked back into life by everything that’s happened this year. “I needed something to focus on, rather than running the risk of disappearing down a big black hole. “I joined the gym and started doing all kinds of fitness and exercise classes. “Now I’m preparing for this run and it’s lovely raising money for, and having the support of, EACH. “I’m so grateful and not feeling quite so alone now. “There’s been a lot of emotion and upset this year. The feeling of denial lasted a long time, followed by anger. “I’m still not at the acceptance stage and I’m certainly not doing this for closure, because I don’t want to forget my baby. “However, I want to focus on something and provide a positive ending to what’s been a shocking few months.” Nancy, who has a six-year-old son, Ted, is running on the day her baby, who she called Reggie, was due to be born -15th September. She plans to run just over half a marathon, from Corton to Gorleston and back, onto Lowestoft cemetery and then back to Corton. Her route, when plotted online, should hopefully make a rough bow shape. “I was talking to a friend, Jo, about my heartbreak and she told me her and husband Lee lost a baby during birth and EACH had been wonderful,” added Nancy, an osteopath who also works in ergonomics and owns and manages properties in Lincolnshire and Norfolk. “Tamzin, her little girl, would have been 11 in December. “Jo and Lee received amazing help and support and that’s why it was an obvious choice of charity for me to raise funds for. “I had minimal support earlier this year and am only just starting grieving now. “As I don’t have anywhere to visit for my little one, my friend has so kindly said I can put flowers on the grave of her little girl in memory of my baby, too. “I’ll put an R and a T keyring (for Reggie and Tamzin) with wings on the grave in Lowestoft. “I’ve also been given a feather ring which I’ll wear for the run, so the little ones are with me and pushing me on.” Nancy, who lived in Great Yarmouth and then Lowestoft before returning to her native Northamptonshire, plans to run in an EACH t-shirt and has set herself a target of raising £500. She is walking some of the route later this month and will run some of it during a trip back to East Anglia in August. Ali Lansdowne, community fundraiser for Suffolk and East Essex, said: “Nancy’s story is incredibly inspiring and really moved me. “Choosing to complete her run on what would have been Reggie’s birthday shows unbelievable strength and she should be incredibly proud of herself. I’m sending my very best thoughts and wishes. “I’m sure she’ll do herself proud, as well as raising vital money to help us continue supporting families and caring for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across East Anglia.” To sponsor Nancy, head here Images provided by EACH – one of Nancy, one of her six-year old son Ted, and one of friends Jo and Lee with their baby Tamzin.