At Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Charity, we are incredibly proud to champion local dad Ollie Betteridge, who is preparing to take on the 2026 London Marathon in support of our Hold the Moment – Maternity Appeal. Ollie aims to raise £3,000 in heartfelt gratitude for maternity teams at Worcestershire Royal Hospital who saved the lives of his wife and daughter five years ago.
Thanks to the generosity of our community, local donors and valued grant funders, the appeal is already over three-quarters of the way towards its £223,000 target. So far, the appeal has funded:
• 21 buddy beds for Lavender postnatal ward
• Nine jaundice meters for our Community and Continuity of Care teams
• Supporting the extension of the maternity bereavement suite, including a dedicated memory-making room
Ollie is determined to help bring the appeal to completion – because for his family, the impact of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust maternity services could not be more profound. When what began as a normal labour suddenly became life-threatening, our teams acted with remarkable speed and expertise.
“If they hadn’t acted immediately, I could have lost them both.” Ollie shared. “Running the London Marathon has always been on my bucket list, but running to give back to the people who saved my family makes it truly meaningful.”
By backing Ollie, you can help us bring comfort, dignity and hope to families across Worcestershire at life’s most powerful moments.
To support Ollie and help him reach his £3,000 target, you can donate via Ollie’s JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/ollies-maternity-london-mara