Carluke medic takes colleagues on run to mark his retiral

Most folk celebrate their retiral by having a party with colleagues or going out for dinner with them.
Carluke medic Manjit Devgun.Carluke medic Manjit Devgun.
Carluke medic Manjit Devgun.

Not Carluke’s Manjit Devgun, though.

He’s marking the occasion by leading a team of his workmates on a 13-mile run.

The 65-year-old veteran of the NHS Lanarkshire clinical diagnostics laboratory service will be leading 18 colleagues at October 1’s Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run in Glasgow, raising cash for a cause very close to their hearts, the county’s St Andrew’s Hospice at Airdrie.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Manjit will be taking part in an event he can hardly be classed as a veteran in as, at the grand old age of 64 last year, he took part in his first Great Scottish Run, still coming home in a creditable two hours and 18 minues.

His sporting achievements lie further back in the past when he was a keen hockey player and a competitive member of Lanark’s Winston Squash Club.

He was, in fact, the Gazette’s very own squash correspondent at the time, before injury ended his playing days a decade and a half ago.

Now, with retirement looming, Manjit decided to turn his athletic prowess to practical use to benefit the hospice, a service that relies on donations and sponsorship to keep going.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

His team are drawn mainly from the diagnostic services based at Lanarkshire’s three acute hospitals, at Wishaw, Hairmyres and Monklands, and they carry out many tests for the hospice.

He told the Gazette: “You could see the run as my retirement party.

“All my colleagues greatly admire the hospice and its work, and that is why we decided to use this event to raise money for it.

“I’m fairly sure that I’ll be able to complete the course.

“We are all training for it separately at our own rate, and we won’t be setting any particular time. Each will do the course in their own time, acording to their ability or fitness.

“The point is helping the hospice.”

There is also no target for the fundraising, but every penny will help ease the end for a hospice patient.

Donations to Manjit’s run-cum-send-off can be made via email at msdevgun@
googlemail.com.

Related topics: