“Ten years, ten challenges and one very special place”- Forget Me Not CEO marks decade at charity with a year of 10 incredible challenges!

Forget Me Not children’s hospice’s Chief Executive Officer Gareth Pierce is celebrating his ten year anniversary with the charity by embarking on a year of 10 incredible challenges.

Gareth, who first joined the charity as head of retail in September 2016, wanted to take on something that reflects the dedication, resilience and community spirit he has experienced throughout his time at Forget Me Not. He launched his ten challenges at Russell House with a ten-hour static cycle ride as part of the charity’s Shooting Stars Cycling Challenge for Baby Loss Awareness Week in October. Over the next 12 months Gareth aims to:

• Take on ten 10km runs, starting with the Leeds Abbey Dash in November this year
• Pedal 192 miles in a Coast to Coast cycle challenge in 2027
• Climb the Yorkshire Three Peaks in under ten hours in May 2027
• Test his strength, stamina and taste for mud in a Total Warrior challenge
• Walk across hot coals at a firewalk in 2027
• Join Forget Me Not’s dedicated supporters in ten volunteering shifts over the year
• Walk more than 10,000 steps every day for “as long as I can keep going”
• Run his first marathon, in October 2027
• Raise £10,000 for Forget Me Not. 

Gareth said,

“Every week at Forget Me Not, I speak with families who tell me how much our support means to them and the difference it makes in their lives. Hearing that fills me with pride, humility and gratitude that they trust us to walk alongside them through some of life’s toughest moments. It is all the motivation I’ve needed over the last 10 years – to campaign for fairer hospice funding, raise awareness of the vital care we provide, and advocate for the investment children’s hospices deserve.

“The ten challenges will take me well beyond my comfort zone and will see me cover a lot of miles for Forget Me Not. But this is not really about distances, timings or personal records. It is about celebrating ten years of being part of an organisation that means so much to me. It is about recognising the colleagues and volunteers who bring such care and commitment to their roles. It is about standing alongside the families who show us what courage, love and resilience truly look like. It is also about helping more people understand why children’s hospice care matters.

The ten volunteering shifts are especially important to me. Giving my time will allow me to work alongside some of the volunteers who contribute so much to Forget Me Not and to experience different parts of the organisation from a fresh perspective.

To everyone who has been part of my first ten years at Forget Me Not, I want to say thank you. Thank you to the children and families who have placed their trust in us, to every colleague and volunteer, and to every person who has donated, fundraised, partnered with us or shared our story. Ten years at Forget Me Not has given me memories, connections and experiences I will always carry with me. This coming year will add many more special moments, I’m sure!”

You can support Gareth’s fundraising for Forget Me Not on his dedicated Just Giving page here