A couple from Wooler and Hexham, Northumberland, who found love under the Northern Lights during a fundraising trek for St Oswald’s Hospice, have raised over £1,430 for the charity at their wedding.
Richard and Julie Waters first met back in 2014 on a 10 day Icelandic fundraising trek for St Oswald’s, enduring sub-zero temperatures and seeing stunning sights including the Northern Lights.
The pair are long-standing supporters of St Oswald’s. Richard has supported St Oswald’s for many years through events such as the Great North Run and Julie used the Hospice’s Outpatient Service for Lymphoedema care. As a result, the couple were keen to have a wedding collection in support of the North East charity. Richard and Julie have become the first couple to have met on a St Oswald’s trek, who have headed down the aisle.
Julie explained: “The night we were due to begin the trek, I arrived early at St Oswald’s and the only other person here was Richard. We sat and chatted over coffee and talked about how we had both come to know St Oswald’s and became really excited about our trip to Iceland. We chatted some more on our journey over there, and we became firm friends as the trip progressed sharing some special moments together. And the rest, as they say, is history.”
Julie continued: “St Oswald’s is a truly fantastic charity, if it hadn’t of been for the Hospice I wouldn’t have received fantastic Lymphoedema care and treatment, I wouldn’t have known about the Icelandic challenge, and I wouldn’t have met Richard. I have a lot to be thankful to St Oswald’s for. They’ve changed and improved my life in so many ways.”
Richard added “We got married in a wonderful location, High House Farm Brewery near Northumberland, and had the most gorgeous weather. As we had wanted to have a wedding collection, and St Oswald’s had brought Julie and I together, we couldn’t think of a more fitting tribute than to ask our wedding guests to donate some money to the Hospice. We’re thrilled to have raised over £1,300 and are delighted that we’ve been in a position to give something back to a charity which has given so much to both of us.”
Danielle Callender, Community Fundraiser at St Oswald’s, said: “Richard and Julie have both been loyal supporters of St Oswald’s for many years and we couldn’t be happier that they both found each other on one of our treks! I was honoured to attend the wedding and had a brilliant evening. I was overwhelmed at the generosity of the guests who attended and the donations which poured in.
As St Oswald’s needs to raise £7million each year in order to keep our doors open and to continue to provide high quality care, any money that we manage to raise through fundraising or donations is extremely welcome. We wish Richard and Julie a lifetime of happiness and look forward to fundraising with them in the future!”
If you’ve felt inspired by Julie and Richard’s story and want to raise some money for St Oswald’s, please click here to learn about the many ways you can support them.