A hospital porter is swapping clinical corridors for mountain paths as he takes on a sunrise climb of Snowdon to raise funds for patient care across Lincolnshire.
Neil Landry, a porter in the Radiology department at Lincoln County Hospital, has signed up for the Snowdon Sunrise Challenge on Sunday, July 12. The trek will support the United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity.
Neil plays a crucial role in patient support every day, escorting individuals from their wards to the Radiology department for MRI and CT scans. He notes that seeing the positive impact of hospital care first-hand makes his role incredibly rewarding.
"I have some brilliant conversations with the patients as I wheel them around the corridors, and I am always a little surprised at how thankful they are when all I have done is take them on their journey from the ward and back," he said.
Neil hasn't always been a porter. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he ran a successful events business, supplying medals and competitor numbers to many of the UK's largest sporting events, including the Great North Run. However, lockdown brought disastrous consequences for his business.
He recalls: "There was no work, I was at a loose end and needed to do something. My van was sitting empty on the driveway."
Neil heard about the need for NHS Community Responders and signed up, answering daily alerts to collect shopping or prescriptions for people shielding in their homes. During the 2021 lockdown alone, he helped 131 people in and around Lincoln.
As restrictions eased, Neil attempted to restart his business, but the landscape had changed. Remembering the fulfilment he felt as a responder, he decided on a career change and became a hospital porter - a role he now describes as his 'perfect job'.
Neil typically walks around 12 miles during a 10-hour shift, so he is well-prepared for the Snowdon Sunrise Walk. The night-time trek requires participants to climb from base to summit in the dark to witness the sunrise over the Welsh mountains.
He said: "The sunrise element has got me hooked. Walking at night is different to daytime, your senses are heightened, I think this will be a great challenge."
Neil and his wife Amanda are walking together, aiming to fund projects that will improve patients' lives.
He continued: "I would like to give something back. I see the good that the charity does across our hospitals and especially for the radiology unit where I work. So I am doing my bit to provide those added extras that the NHS cannot fund."
Connor Hill, United Lincolnshire Hospitals charity fundraiser, is overjoyed that Neil and Amanda have signed up for the Snowdon Sunrise Walk. He commented: "Every penny raised will be used to directly transform patient care in our hospitals. It really does make a massive difference, and we are so appreciative of their support."
To support Neil on his challenge visit his fundraising page on United Lincolnshire Hospitals Charity website. More details on the Snowdon Walk can be found on the charity website: Snowdon Sunrise Challenge.
