Zoe Hancock is a runner supporting the hard work of London Ambulance Service

Zoe Hancock is a hairdresser and barber originally from Basildon who lives in Leeds, and she absolutely loves running. This year, she’s taking on a range of running events to raise money for the London Ambulance Charity, in memory of her cousin Mark, who was a paramedic, and passed away earlier this year.

“I started running as I had some mental health issues, and I found it actually helped me with them. I use it as a therapy,” Zoe explains. She took on her first ever running event in 2017 and has been going strong ever since, taking part in several events to fundraise for various mental health charities.

Zoe is signed up for three of our running events this year – the York 10K, Yorkshire Marathon, and the Larking Gowen Ipswich Half Marathon. She works with a trainer remotely, who is based in Essex, and training has been going really well. “I’m looking forward to completing the runs and knowing I’ve not just done something positive for myself, but for others too.”

At these events, Zoe is raising money for the London Ambulance Charity, in memory of her cousin Mark, a paramedic who passed away on 13^th April 2022 in a traffic accident. She was very close with Mark: “He’s actually my dad’s cousin, and he grew up near us, so it’s really my dad that brought us all together. My relationship with him was more like a brother sister relationship than with a cousin.”

Zoe credits Mark with helping her through some very hard times in her life. “I remember how he would work these 12 hour shifts, but then he’d be showing up on my doorstep right after that 12 hour shift was over.”

Zoe worked in a motorbike shop, and she has many fond memories of hanging out with Mark at the shop on his days off. He bought his first motorbike there and used to come by often, as she always had something new from the motoring clothing suppliers for him to try out.

As well as his job as a paramedic for London Ambulance Service, Mark worked as medical support for children learning to sail and for Riding with the Disabled. “He just constantly wanted to give and care for people. He was such a gentleman, that’s just what his nature was.”

Zoe really admired Mark, and that’s why she wants to support London Ambulance Charity. Her goal is to raise at least £1000 for this organisation, who improve rest areas and amenities, as well as wellbeing initiatives and financial hardship support, for London Ambulance Service staff.

If you’d like to donate to Zoe or learn more about this cause, you can visit her JustGiving here. Good luck Zoe – we can’t wait to see you at our events soon.