On Saturday 31 August I am once again participating in the Steel Town 20 walk to raise much needed funds for Willow Burn Hospice and in memory of Gemma Justice.

Gemma and her husband Steven were DBN members for a time and continuously supported our meetings with their warm hospitality when we have hosted our networking mornings at the Derwent Walk Pub in Ebchester.

After learning about Gemma's passing we thought it would be a nice idea to rundraise in Gemmas name and thought it would be fitting to donate any money raised to Willow Burn Hospice in Gemma's memory.

Willow Burn Hospice is your local hospice and the team their help people at a time when they need help and support the most. The hospice helps people to achieve a good death, to live well with an illness and to support family and friends to have a more positive future. Not only that, Willow Burn is a community hub where people come together to give love and support to each other.

But special places like this wouldn't exist without you. You see the hospice receives 42% of funding from the local NHS but for every £1 that is spent, 58p comes from fundraising.

So if you are able, please sponsor us to support this vital local service, in memory of our friend Gemma.