Family links to hospital ward sees matron’s husband run London Marathon fundraiser

The family links to the Rainbow Ward at the West Suffolk Hospital is strong in the Rackham family.

Jo is the matron while her husband Shaun has become a fundraiser for the children’s unit.

And his latest effort has resulted in £1,313 being raised after he took part in the London Marathon earlier this month.

Shaun, who is the area performance manager and community champion at Mizkan, which makes Branston pickle at its production site in Mildenhall Road, Bury St Edmunds, completed the course in five-and-a-half hours after suffering with painful shin splints half way round.

Now the avid runner, who has taken part in the Norwich Half Marathon and the Edinburgh Marathon, is now hoping his company will help him in his efforts to obtain a prize for My WiSH, the hospital charity which he has adopted.

His company is celebrating 100 years of making the pickle and has recently been filmed by the BBC’s “One Show” and he is keen to organise a factory tour to be used as a gift for the charity.

The 53-year-old, who lives in Wattisfield and had a heart operation back in 2013, set about getting fit again following his treatment and took up running.

“I had mitral valve surgery and was initially treated at the West Suffolk where everyone looked after me wherever I went before I went off to Papworth Hospital for the operation.”

He said he was planning to raise money for charity and when he spoke to his wife she said that he was “not going to raise money except for me!”

Shaun said: “It’s all about raising money for the hospital and I’m keen to promote fundraising efforts with our Japanese owners. It would be nice if I can share the Branston brand in some way and I want to get involved with that for My WiSH.”

Sally Daniels, fundraising manager, thanked Shaun for his amazing fundraising and said “If anyone knows how hard staff work to care for us all it’s their family members! To have Shaun run for My WiSH to help us support young patients is just fantastic. And linking us in with local business is brilliant too. We are so grateful that Shaun wants to tie us all together as that way we can all do great things that will benefit the community”.

Main photo: Shaun Rackham and his wife Jo, far right, along with staff from the Rainbow Ward at the West Suffolk Hospital, holding the cheque for £1,313.