Meet John…

John Smallman and his family have been raising money for Dougie Mac for more than a decade. In that time, they’ve donated more than £17,600 to the hospice, which they’ve raised through their various fundraising efforts.

John explained: “Our fundraising started by just doing the odd things to raise money. We’d heard about Dougie Mac and what a great organisation it is, but we really stepped up our fundraising when close friends and family needed support from the hospice.

“Our close family friend Jayne and my great Uncle John both received end of life care from Dougie Mac, as well as my mum’s high school friend, Peter, who received care after a long battle with bowel cancer. He passed away at the hospice and that’s when we saw first-hand the care Dougie Mac offers. Everyone was so helpful and enabled him to be comfortable and pass away with dignity, surrounded by his loving family and friends.”

Over the years John and his family have taken part in many Dougie Mac events as well as organising their own fundraising activities, ranging from community firework displays to mountain climbs and walking challenges. In 2024 John set himself one of his biggest tests so far, a year-long walking challenge.

“I struggle with motivation to keep healthy and fit, so raising money for Dougie Mac is a great way for me personally to keep that motivation going. This challenge included 12 monthly walking step targets, as well as a few big challenges including two marathon walks and two mountain climbs. By the end of the year I had walked around 5.83 million steps, which for me was around 2,913 miles, and raised a total of £8,136.19.

“It was a fantastic experience. I did a lot of the steps on my own but without the weekend walks with friends and family, and people helping out and joining me for the bigger challenges, it would have been even harder. I still can’t believe I managed it and I lost three stone in the process so personally it was a great thing to get healthier and also raise that amount.”

The family’s support for Dougie Mac doesn’t just involve raising money, they often give their time to volunteer at Dougie Mac’s fundraising events too.

“We’ve volunteered at many Dougie Mac events, including the Annual Ball, Light up a Life event, 10k and bike ride. This year we were the “back walkers” for the Moonlight Walk, following the last group of walkers to make sure they finished the course safely.

“My mum and dad have officially “retired” from the big challenges, but they will continue to volunteer and raise money for Dougie Mac. It’s a pleasure for us to raise what we can to help the hospice, so I feel it’s up to me to carry on and get our family’s fundraising total higher and higher over the coming years.”