A group of 20 teachers from Leeds’ Lawnswood School will walk up to the Cow and Calf Rocks over Ilkley on 23 July, then zipwire 270 metres down the Moor at a speed of up to 35 mph.
Why? You might ask. Well, it’s in memory of their friend and colleague Claire McCloy, who received palliative care at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice before she died in May 2022 at just 34 years of age; and to raise funds for the Hospice.
Lisa Rollett worked alongside Claire in the school’s science department. Lisa: “I went to visit Claire when she was in Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice. She was really unwell but what struck me was that she’d had her nails painted by one of the nurses. I just think that kind of care is really going above and beyond. It takes a very special kind of person to work in a place like that. The hospice is an amazing place and the support from the staff made a really difficult situation a bit more manageable.”
Lisa and her colleagues will be joined at Zip the Cow by Claire’s husband and sister and they will all be wearing special ‘I zipped the cow for Claire’ t-shirts. They are planning a family picnic afterwards – a time to come together to celebrate Claire and the wonderful impact that she had on the lives of everyone she met.
“It was really bizarre because the leaflet for Zip the Cow actually came through my letterbox about half an hour after I’d found out that Claire had died,” says Lisa. “I took it as a sign and put the idea out there to staff and had such a positive response back. I know that Claire would have found us all doing this kind of thing absolutely hilarious! Claire was a fantastic colleague to work alongside. She was an energetic, funny, resilient, caring, creative and committed member of our team and we want to celebrate her zest for life. She will be in our hearts as we launch ourselves off the top of the Cow and Calf rocks.”
Becky Hollingworth, Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice: “Thank you to Lisa, her colleagues and Claire’s husband and sister for taking on Zip the Cow to raise vital funds for our Hospice. It really is a fantastic event which provides the opportunity for families and friends to come together, try something new and share a truly memorable experience. We’re reliant on supporters generously donating and fundraising for us, and every penny raised from this event will help us to be there when it matters for patients and their families going through the most difficult times of their lives.”
For further information on Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice, visit: sueryder.org/wheatfields
Feature photograph: Zip The Cow.
