Kaleidoscopic fundraiser for children's palliative care worker

Sunday 21 April 2019

1,500 islanders are next month expected to douse themselves in colour in a kaleidoscopic run aiming to raise money for a care worker dedicated to supporting children affected by life-threatening illness.

Created by Family and Nursing Home Care (FNHC), the Colour Festival will take place on 6 July, with funds raised going towards FNHC’s Paediatric Palliative Care Worker, who supports children and families on the Children’s Palliative Care Pathway.

The Children’s Palliative Care Pathway supports families who have a child experiencing life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses and conditions. The Paediatric Palliative Care Worker role is there to provide emotional, practical and holistic support for the whole family.

Pictured: Nicola Waggon, FNHC's Paediatric Palliative Care Worker.

The funds from the Colour Festival will go directly towards the continuation and development of the role, including any training that is required to achieve this.

Nicola Waggott, FNHC’s Paediatric Palliative Care Worker, said: ‘The main difference I can make to families is a constant supporting role. The nurses have a huge part to play, but it’s very much clinical and based around the needs of the child.

"Whereas my role is more about interacting with the family, as well as providing them with emotional and medical support."

Pictured: 1,500 runners are expected this year.

FNHC previously organised the Colour Run, but has now created a full festival, in the hope that it will be "a fun-filled, family day out for all islanders to enjoy".

The event will include different activities throughout the day: a sand castle family workshop with Jersey’s Sandman, live music from local talent and a DJ, a tug-of-war race and finally the Colour Run, which is expected to attract around 1,500 participants - a record number.

This year, FNHC is offering a team package allowing eight people to take part in the Colour Run and then enter the tug of war race wearing fancy dress if they wish, with a prize awarded to the winning team.

Pictured: Runners get doused in coloured powders along the route.

Mia Mistry, Fundraising Manager at Family Nursing & Home Care, said: "We wanted to make this year’s colour run bigger and better, which is why we’ve created the Colour Festival – a first for the Island and for the whole community. 

"The various activities going on throughout the day will make it a family day out for islanders of all ages to enjoy, so you don’t have to be participating in the colour run to attend the festival.

"We hope as many people come along and show their support whilst raising money for such an important cause."

Pictured: The run will end in a celebratory ‘paint the sky’ coloured cloud spread over the participants.

600 tickets have been sold already. Last year saw 971 douse themselves in coloured powders, raising over £17,000 for FNHC in the process.

Islanders will have to choice of either running or walking the 5km circular route along the beach at St. Aubin, to Bel Royal and back, whilst being showered in five different coloured biodegradable paints. The run will end in a celebratory ‘paint the sky’ coloured cloud spread over the participants.