A TEACHER is taking part in the Sue Ryder December Daily Dash to raise funds for the hospice which cared for her father and grandfather.

Rebecca Whittaker, 29, who first took part in the dash last year, is now planning to do it all over again. Both her father and grandfather received end-of-life care at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice in Leeds so Rebecca was keen to get involved in the annual challenge which sees participants run, walk or jog 5km every day throughout December.

Rebecca, of Yeadon, was just 23 when her father Neil died in 2015 at the age of 51. Her grandfather Duncan, 81, died a year later in 2016 leaving Rebecca determined to ensure Sue Ryder will continue to be there when it matters for other families in the future.

She said: "My dad spent two days in Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice in August 2015 following a cancer diagnosis. The end-of-life care he received was second-to-none and the staff were so understanding. My granddad also spent his final days in the hospice in October 2016. The support from all the staff made their final days comfortable and helped my family come to terms with loss and life after losing a loved one."

When she saw the dash advertised Rebecca realised it was the challenge for her.

She said:"Giving back to the hospice is very important to me. Being a teacher I walk around quite a lot anyway and this really fitted into my lifestyle. I’m not fit enough to do a half marathon but the December Daily Dash was achievable and I found it really rewarding.

"I loved doing it and it was a great excuse to get myself out on the cold nights. By the time I got home from work it would already be 4.30pm and it was dark but it was quite nice because all the Christmas lights were on so that was lovely to see. I walked most of it but I did jog a bit. There were definitely a few days when I didn’t want to go out in the cold but I did manage every day – even Christmas Day.

"I’m not the fittest of people but doing the December Daily Dash meant I lost weight too. I might try to jog a bit more this year. Running would make it easier because you’re not out in the cold for so long."