Joe, 8, Jack, 9, and Finley, 11, are taking on the Mini London Marathon on Saturday, 26 April 2025, in memory of their schoolteacher Miss Hood, to raise vital funds for Havens Hospices after Alice’s received care from the hospice at the end of her life.   

Edward Francis Primary, applied for spaces in the Mini London Marathon, and the boys were all successful in the school’s ballot and each secured a place. They have been motivated to take on this challenge and raise vital funds for the charity, after hearing how Fair Havens supported Alice and her family through one of the toughest times in their lives. 

Miss Hood was a dedicated primary school teacher who loved her job, but at just 32 years old she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer after finding a lump. 

Alice underwent five months of chemotherapy followed by a Mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. She was recovering well from the operation but was having severe pain in her back. After a series of tests and weeks of waiting Alice was told the cancer had spread to her spinal fluid and “gone off like a firework”. She was given just days to live. 

Alice and her family came to Fair Havens on 19th December. 

Denise and Bernard, Alice’s parents, have thanked Fair Havens for the care and support they received. They said, “Coming into Fair Havens, it was like a hotel! It was calm and peaceful. A nurse came out to meet us in the ambulance, introduced herself and welcomed us in. Immediately, your shoulders drop, and there’s a relief that there’s someone there for you. You instantly know they’re going to look after you.” 

“Without Alice everything is different. You never move on, but you move forward and we’re just so grateful Fair Havens was there for us all. The only thing they couldn’t do for her was make her better.” 

Susie May, Event Fundraiser at Havens Hospices, said, “We are so incredibly proud of Fin, Jack and Joe for taking on the Mini London Marathon in support of Havens Hospices and in memory of Miss Hood. Their motivation and commitment is really inspiring, and we know Miss Hood would be so proud of them too. The funds raised will help us support more families like Alice’s, providing vital care when it’s needed most.” 

Fair Havens provides specialist care for adults in Southend, Rochford and Castle Point living with complex or incurable conditions. The hospice also provides wellbeing and bereavement support available to everyone in the family, making sure the right support is there for families, where and when they need it. This care is provided absolutely free of charge, thanks to the support from local people like Finley, Joe and Jack who fundraise and make donations. 

You can support by donating to their JustGiving page here https://www.justgiving.com/page/finjackjoe   

Published on 24th April 2025