Nurse goes to great lengths to raise vital funds for local families needing Sue Ryder’s care

July 21, 2023

A palliative care nurse from Lincolnshire has committed to swimming hundreds of lengths of her local pool to raise money for the hospice where she works.

Jules Carter, from Pinchbeck, by swimming 600 lengths in around six weeks to raise at least £600, which could pay for up to 24 hours of expert and compassionate palliative care.

55-year-old Jules qualified as a nurse in January after successfully completing a four-year Bachelor of Science with honours degree. She has been working at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice for the past 14 months originally as a third-year nursing student and now as a qualified palliative care nurse.

Jules said: “I have always wanted to work in palliative care. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. To be part of the Sue Ryder team and be there for people at the end of their life is an absolute honour.

“I know that the cost of our care is rising, and I wanted to do something to help the hospice so that we can continue to be there when it matters for families going through the most difficult times of their lives, just like they are always there for me,” Jules added.

Jules also cares for her dad and says her colleagues are continuously so supportive. In the past Jules experienced the expert end-of-life care the team provides first-hand after her husband was cared for briefly at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice before he died.

“Every day I walk in to work, and everyone asks how my dad is, they care so much about each other. My husband only spent one day at the hospice, but in that time, they showed me so much sincerity, they were truly interested in how I was – they couldn’t do enough for me. I just want to say thank you and give back.”

Jules’ sponsored swim will take place at Castle Sports Centre and Swimming Pool in Spalding and will kickstart on 17 July.

“I really enjoy swimming. It’s the one sport I have always done so I thought why not something do I love while raising vital funds for families needing our care.

“I am hoping the challenge will also help me to get fit and take some time out for myself which I am really looking forward to,” she added.

Jules’ fundraiser comes after Sue Ryder launched a new campaign to highlight the harsh reality of the Cost of Dying crisis. The charity recently installed a 16-foot receipt at Cathedral Arch in Peterborough revealing the increasing costs of providing its palliative care and bereavement services, as people needing vital end-of-life care is expected to increase by 55% by 2030.

To donate to Jules’ fundraising page, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/jules-carter-1689265259257

To find out more about the Cost of Dying crisis, visit: sueryder.org/CostofDying