Going sober for 2022 for the NHS

Jade Allum is organizing this fundraiser to benefit Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust Charity.

In July of 2021, my dad, David Allum, lost his fight to COVID-19. He was full of love and life, and his time was cut short to say the least.

Dad was the heart and soul of our family. He always knew what to say, how to cheer us up, how to wind us up and how to make us laugh.

My dad will always be my inspiration. He spent his entire life putting everybody else first, and was starting to get to a time in his life where he could do the things he wanted to do for himself. He was excited to start wood turning, his way of connecting with his dad and his brothers who were all carpenters.

A lot of you will know I'm always up for a good time and a good drink. But I want to do something this year, I want to challenge myself, I want to do something for my dad. I want to do something for the doctors and nurses that tried so hard to save my dad. On the worst night of our lives, they treated us with such kindness and compassion, and made that experience a little easier. Because of them, we were able to say goodbye, even if dad couldn't say it back. So for 2022, I will be stone cold sober in hopes to raise money for The Royal Berks Charity.

The Royal Berks Charity supports the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust vision to continue to drive improvement in patient experience and be an outstanding provider of health services for our local communities. Through fundraising and generous donations, they are able to add extra value and support pioneering and innovative work for the benefit of those that need them. It's these extras - both small and large - above and beyond the scope of the NHS budget, that really make a difference.

I am my father's daughter. I have his humour, his mindset, his appetite and his drive. But I have watched my mum these few months, and her strength is to be admired. I'm hoping over 2022, I inherit some of my mum's strength.

I love my family, I love my mum, my sister and my dad. And for that, I'll put down the G&Ts and pick up the J20s.

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