28 November 2020

Andrew Forster, Material Management Assistant at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, is walking a staggering 30 marathons in 30 days - a total of 780 miles - throughout November to raise money for Royal Papworth Charity.

Leaving his house in the early hours and not returning until close to midnight – working a full shift at the Cambridge-based hospital in between - Andy will be using every hour of each day to get his steps in to complete his gruelling challenge.

"Working at Royal Papworth Hospital during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic I saw first-hand how hard all of the staff worked, selflessly caring for the sickest patients," Andy said.

“As we entered a second lockdown, I knew I wanted to do something to show my support and raise money for an incredible charity which supports an amazing hospital.” 

Andy wearing a Royal Papworth Charity t-shirt with a sign saying '29 marathons to go'
Andy pictured on day two of his November marathon challenge
 

Andy was one of the many dedicated members of staff who moved out of his house with family to stay at the hospital-provided accommodation in Waterbeach during the first wave. This enabled Andy to continue to work in the hospital and keep his family safe. 

As a material management assistant, Andy supports every team across the hospital with vital deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE), medical kit and other critical supplies; walking across the site will help Andy to rack-up those vital steps every day.

He has already surpassed his initial £2,000 target, closing in on the £4,000 mark as he reaches the final few days of his challenge.

The Royal Papworth Hospital COVID-19 Appeal continues to raise vital funds in support of the ground-breaking work of Royal Papworth Hospital in the fight against coronavirus. As a specialist heart and lung hospital and one of five ECMO centres in the UK, the hospital provides the highest level of medical intervention and treats some of the sickest patients with coronavirus.

Andy wearing a hoody, coat and baseball cap, looking tired on day 26
A very tired looking Andy on day 26 with just four full days left to go
 

Royal Papworth Hospital will continue to be at the forefront in the fight against coronavirus, leading clinical trials, exploring new treatment options and caring for those with long-term complications as a result of the virus. 

Follow Andy’s story and visit his JustGiving page.