2017 Bubble Rush Set to Raise Over £50,000 for Dorothy House

On Sunday 25th June, the Dorothy House 2017 Bubble Rush saw over 1,600 people taking part in a 5k fun run or walk at Castle Combe Race Circuit near Chippenham. In 2016 the Bubble Rush raised over £50,000, a sum which the hospice is on target to beat this year as over 200 more people took part this year than last year. This was the second Bubble Rush held by Dorothy House and it is already one of their biggest fundraising events.

Three waves of runners and walkers set off at 12pm, 1pm and 2pm and ran, walked and danced their way along a 5km route filled with five bubble stations full of white, pink, yellow, blue and green foam. At each bubble station a high-powered foam cannon blew out huge clouds of coloured foam for runners to play and jump around in. The third wave at 2pm was started by 2020 Olympic hopeful Jo Muir, a Modern Pentahlete and Sports Ambassador for Dorothy House along with her boyfriend and fellow Modern Pentathlete Jamie Cooke who competed for Team GB in the Rio Olympics in Summer 2016.

The Bubble Village was busy with a pre-event warm up routine before each wave, live entertainment, children’s activities including bouncy castles, zorbing, games and face painting and lots of food and drink stalls so there was something for everyone. There were no age restrictions and the route was child-friendly as the circuit is suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs and prams.

Dorothy House Hospice Care provides free palliative and end of life care from early diagnosis onwards to patients, their families and carers across Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES), Wiltshire and Somerset. While no minimum sponsorship amount was requested participants are encouraged to raise as much as they can for Dorothy House to help fund vital patient care. Donations can be made here.

Emily Knight, Events Fundraiser at Dorothy House Hospice Care said; “Our second Bubble Rush was a great success with over 200 more people taking part this year, it was wonderful to see so many local folks getting involved and having fun while raising money for Dorothy House. I hope people will continue to donate their sponsorship money as every penny counts, for each £1 we earn from the NHS, the hospice has to raise another £4.”

Jackie Harrison from Chippenham, who attended the Bubble Rush with her sisters, Mum and other family members to remember her Dad, Derek Chappell, said of the event: “We had a great time at the Bubble Rush and loved getting the family together to celebrate Dad’s memory with a Round The World picnic. Since Dorothy House cared for my Dad last year, I tell everyone that the hospice offers so much more than just somewhere to die, including respite care and facilities to enhance life and help patients and carers live well. Yet the mention of hospice care can set fear in the hearts of many people, including our Mum and Dad, who saw it as the end of the road. I so wish they’d realised what an amazing place Dorothy House is sooner because Dad would have had far more support to help him and Mum.“

Debbie Cutler, from Calne, mother of Tom Bowden from Devizes who was a patient of Dorothy House and sadly died in April 2016 said: “Eight members of our family took part in the 2017 Bubble Rush in memory of my son Tom, myself, my daughter Louise, her husband and three children and of course Tom's wife Steph and his daughter Darcy aged five. We as a family can never thank Dorothy House enough for everything they did for Tom, their kindness and care was outstanding and we will continue to support Dorothy House in whatever way we can.”

Amanda and John Tucker and their sons Jamie and Liam from Melksham did their first Bubble Rush together to celebrate Liam’s 8th birthday. Amanda said: “We all had a brilliant day and Liam loved celebrating his Birthday party at the Bubble Rush and playing around in the foam with his friends and family. We chose this event for his party as we wanted the money to go to Dorothy House because it is such a great local charity.”

For more information on Dorothy House Hospice Care go to www.dorothyhouse.org.uk.