Abingdon firm prepares for Oxford Half Marathon in memory of former colleague

08 Oxfordshire: Abingdon-based Crossland Employment Solicitors is taking on the Oxford Half Marathon on 11 October to raise funds for Sobell House Hospice in memory of a much-loved former colleague. 

Crossland employees have chosen Sobell House as their Charity of the Year after a much-loved member of their team, Catherine Kilvington, was cared for by the hospice during her illness. The half marathon is one of many fundraising activities the Milton Park-based firm is undertaking with a coffee morning also being planned for next month. 

Sobell House provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care to people across Oxfordshire, supporting patients with life-limiting illnesses as well as their families and loved ones. Its services include inpatient hospice care, community care and support for families before and after bereavement. 

Barry Ross, Managing Director at Crossland Employment Solicitors, comments: “Sobell House has made a profound difference to people within our Crossland family, supporting both Catherine and her family at some of the most difficult moments in their lives. 

“Choosing Sobell as our Charity of the Year is one way for us to recognise the incredible care they provide and to give something back to a charity means so much to our team. We are proud to be supporting them throughout 2026 and running a half-marathon is nothing like the pain Catherine and her family had to go through.” 

Catherine was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and after a hospital admission was recommended to Sobell House for specialist palliative support. She was cared for at the hospice until her passing on Boxing Day 2024, aged just 44 years old. 

Her husband, Russell, acknowledges the impact Sobell House had on Catherine and the wider family, with Catherine requiring medication and care around the clock, the hospice meant the family could spend time together without having to manage her care alone. 

Russell said: “As we walked in the door, they wrapped us all in a blanket. Everything was there. We didn’t have to worry about the medication, what we were going to cook for dinner or leaving Catherine on her own. It took the worry from her being alone in bed to seeing her smiling in bed, playing games and spending as much time as she could with her a family.”  

Sobell House also continued to support the family after Catherine’s death, with its team recognising that the children could be further supported, and helping Russell access bereavement counselling. 

Russell is also keen to raise awareness of ovarian cancer alongside Crossland’s fundraising. Ovarian Cancer Action reports that around one woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer every hour in the UK, while one woman dies from the disease every two hours. 

“I believe Catherine had ovarian cancer for around 18 months to two years before she was diagnosed. If someone is experiencing abdominal pain or discomfort, I would encourage them to speak to their doctor and ask about the appropriate checks. It can be something that gets missed if it isn’t ticked on the checklist, and I hope sharing Catherine’s experience can help raise awareness of this disease.” 

Russell was also pleased to hear that Crossland had chosen Sobell House as its charity, saying: “Sobell did so much for Catherine and for all of us as a family, so it means a lot to see Crossland supporting them.” 

The team at Crossland Employment Solicitors has set up a donation page for the half marathon, with a target of £500 to be raised by the 11th of October: https://www.justgiving.com/page/crosslandemployment

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Editors notes

Crossland Employment Solicitors specialises only in employment law and recognised as a ‘Top Ranked’ firm in Chambers UK 2021 and a ‘Leading Firm’ in the Legal 500 2021. Their clients range from small to medium sized businesses as well as FTSE 100 clients across almost every sector, including charities and schools. They offer a range of efficient, practical and commercial employment law advice to organisations, whether this be at managerial or board level, across all areas including redundancies and reorganisation, long and short-term sickness, discrimination, conduct and capability, settlement agreements, TUPE, restrictive covenants and employment tribunal claims. They also offer training and guidance on all aspects of employment law to HR and management.