Matched Giving - Well done to Kayley Hanratty!

We are proud to support our colleagues fundraising efforts with our Matched Giving initiative - a way of boosting the money you have fundraised.

Congratulations to Kayley Hanratty who recently completed the April Dog Walking Challenge, raising money for the fantastic Cancer Research UK. Kayley has raised a brilliant £260 including a £130 Matched Giving fundraising boost from Carpenters Group.

Here is what Kayley has to say:

“I took part in Stand Up to Cancers Dog Walking challenge. Throughout April, I walked my dog 2 miles every day to help raise money for Cancer Research.

I lost my dad to lung cancer when he was 54 and I was 25, it was a very spiralled 15–18 months, all because he left a cough too late and now it’ll be 10 years in April. The irony of this challenge is, I got my dog Kya 6 months after my dad passed, my dad didn’t like dogs, there was even a rumour that the dog, Sep, I had when I was 3 he let him out the back gate. I’ll never know the truth to that but Kya, my dog, was the one to save my life. My dad also didn’t like tattoos and I’m 30+ with them and 1 dedicated to him so the irony continues, but around this, I’m more like my dad than I think he ever could have imagined, looks, sense of humour, being a bargain hunter at the same time an explicit spender, music lover, boxer, amongst other things. He wasn’t perfect far from it but I’m still glad I have certain attributes of him including my original surname that I hated when I was younger but now love.

My dad’s last message to me was telling me not to worry and his last words were that we would celebrate his birthday the next month. My family life is complicated and I go through this continued loss alone. I watched him take his last breath, I would never want anyone else to lose a parent like that, so the more we can do to raise money to fight cancer, then the irony of me doing a dog walking challenge in honour of my dad who apparently didn’t like dogs with the dog that is my love and life is completely worth it.”

A huge well done to Kayley and thank you for sharing your story.