Mollie takes on London Marathon challenge in memory of Dad

Mollie Stevens was just six years old when her dad, Shaun, 45, died of cancer at St Wilfrid’s Hospice in 2010. Now aged 21, Mollie tells us how she has supported the hospice since she was a teenager, first by volunteering in one of our shops, and this year by taking on the challenge of running the London Marathon.

“My Dad was such a fun dad. He would do anything for me and my older siblings. He’d take us on water slides and other fun stuff like that, and he was very hands-on.

I was so young when he died that it’s difficult to remember much about him, but he always made sure we had the best memories, and I have so many photos to look back on. When I do, it often awakens a memory and I remember a little bit, especially from family holidays.

Dad was cared for at home by the St Wilfrid’s community team for a few months, until he was admitted to the hospice for the last five weeks of his life. Surprisingly, given my age, I can recall a lot about the hospice. The staff made it like a second home for our family and I remember going there after Brownies and having my dinner with Dad. The hospice was still at its original site in Mill Gap Road then.

The nurses were amazing; they did everything for us. On Dad’s birthday, one of the nurses, Freya, who still works there, baked a cake. It’s the little things like that which make such a difference. After Dad died, we ended up becoming good friends with another nurse, Leanne, who had visited Dad on Christmas Day and lives nearby.

St Wilfrid’s made such a big impact on us as a family that we’ve always wanted to give something back. We’ve done lots of fundraising charity nights, and when I was at college, I volunteered in the hospice shop. I loved working there! The people that came in were so nice, especially the hospice staff. Unfortunately, I had to stop when Covid came along, and after that I got a full time job at Sainsbury’s, where I now work as a manager.

When I’m not working, I enjoy going to the gym. And although I haven’t done much running outdoors before, I have always wanted to do the London Marathon for St Wilfrid’s. I was inspired by a friend who ran it – she wasn’t a runner either and said it was the most amazing and rewarding experience. So, when I was accepted to run for the hospice in the April 2025 marathon, I was so happy.

I’m full-on with my training now and trying to build up my mileage every week. I plan to do the Brighton Half Marathon in March as part of this as it will give me a feel of a marathon and how it is set up. I have a brother-in-law who runs long distances and has been giving me advice. Another brother-in-law is running his first London marathon too, but he’ll definitely finish faster than me!

But I don’t mind how long it takes – I just want to finish it and raise as much money as I can. I can’t think of a better way to say thank you to St Wifrid’s for all the care the staff and volunteers gave my Dad all those years ago.”

Picture captions: Mollie and her Dad; Mollie getting ready for a run

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