A Nottingham poet is to sell copies of his latest book of verse in aid of Nottinghamshire Hospice as well as running his first full marathon to raise funds to help patients.

Frank McMahon, a member of Nottingham’s DIY Poets group, is to launch his new collection, ‘Thirteen’ at Nottingham City Arts on Thursday 5 December at 7.30 pm, with all proceeds going to the hospice.

The book contains 80 poems which deal with topics of love, loss, music, childhood and time, plus several poems about running, as Frank is a keen runner. He has enrolled on the Manchester Marathon for the hospice and hopes to raise £300.

Frank, from Mapperley, who works as a staff nurse at Nottingham’s Highbury Hospital, says: “I wanted to support Nottinghamshire Hospice because I’m aware of the really good work you do in the local community.

“I’ve previously run two half marathons for the hospice but this will be my first full marathon.”

Roxie Hickling, Events and Fundraising Coordinator at Nottinghamshire Hospice, said: “We’re really touched that Frank has decided to support us through his book of poetry as well as running his first full marathon for us.

“We’re so grateful to Frank for his continued support and wish him every success with his book and his running.”

We need to raise £2.7 million a year to provide our services. If you’d like to help us raise much needed funds to provide crucial palliative care for our patients, there are lots of ways to get involved. Find out more here.