Month: February 2024

Posted on by

Hospice needs Creme Eggs for cracking Easter fundraiser

Willow Wood Hospice is appealing for donations of Creme Eggs to reward local children taking part in its Bunny Hop Easter fundraiser.

Last year, a w-hopping 6,000 bunnies took a leap of love, raising a jaw-dropping £45,000 by donning bunny ears to hop, skip and jump around playgrounds, halls and parks across Tameside and Glossop.

In the year Willow Wood celebrates 25 years of patient care, the Hospice based in Ashton-under-Lyne wants Easter 2024 to be Top of the Hops.

It’s looking for individuals, groups and companies who can donate Creme Eggs which will be given to youngsters participating in the Bunny Hop.

Don’t worry if you cannot get hold of Creme Eggs, as donations of other small wrapped Easter treats would be gratefully received too.

Some of the small wrapped Easter treats we would gratefully receive for our Bunny Hop

People can drop off treats at the Hospice reception on Willow Wood Close, off Mellor Road in Ashton-under-Lyne (postcode OL6 6SL) or at any of the Hospice’s charity shops. A full list of locations can be found at https://willowwood.org.uk/shop-locations/

There is also the option of purchasing Creme Eggs online, such as via Amazon, and having them delivered directly to the Hospice, via the address above, for the attention of Tracey Schofield.

To ensure they reach the children once they have completed the challenge, the Hospice ideally needs the eggs by 5th April.

Anyone who is unable to physically donate items but still wants to get involved can make a cash donation, which will sponsor the children taking part in the Bunny Hop, through a simple online form at https://willowwood.org.uk/events/bunny-hop/

The Hospice’s very own Easter Bunny, Tracey Schofield, said: “It’s an egg-citing year at Willow Wood as we recognise 25 years of delivering patient care and the Bunny Hop showcases the incredible power of our community coming together for a cause that truly hops straight to your heart.

“Every child taking part will receive an Easter activity pack, a cute snap wristband, a sweet treat and, of course, the all-important bunny ears which they can take home and use throughout Easter.

“We need as many Creme Eggs as possible and every contribution, however small, will make a difference to children who are raising funds to support patients from the local community with a life-limiting illness. We appreciate your generosity.”

Any school, nursery or children’s group that wishes to take part in the Willow Wood Bunny Hop can still sign up, by emailing tracey.schofield@willowwood.org.uk or calling 0161 330 7788.

By Adam Higgins

Posted on by

Hospice hosts inspiring business network event

Businesses across Tameside came together at Willow Wood Hospice for an inspiring evening of networking. 

Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub held its latest BGH Match event at the Hospice in Ashton-under-Lyne last Thursday (22nd February).

The free business connector network provides businesses across the region with opportunities to create new contacts and share ideas.

Positive conversations filled the room at the Hospice, where there was a strong turnout and lots of new connections made.

Some of the attendees making connections at the event

Insightful presentations were delivered by Sam Duncan, Willow Wood Hospice’s Director of Fundraising and Communications; Nick Shepherd, Business Development and Partnerships Manager at GM Business Growth Hub; and Councillor Jack Naylor, Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Inclusive Growth, Business and Employment.

Other representatives from GM Business Growth Hub and Tameside Council were also on hand to offer advice about fully-funded support available to businesses.

People in attendance also entered a charity raffle which helped to raise funds for the Hospice.

Sam Duncan, Director of Fundraising and Communications (left), and Willow Wood Hospice CEO Karen Houlston

Sam Duncan said: “It was a pleasure to welcome everyone to Willow Wood Hospice for a very productive evening of networking. I’m always proud to talk about our vital work.

“As an organisation, we recognise the importance of supporting local businesses of all sizes and developing longstanding partnerships for the benefit of our patients, staff and volunteers.

“Our corporate partners play a crucial role in enabling us to continue to care for local people, and those closest to them.”

Any businesses interested in supporting the Hospice in any way can find out more, including ways of getting in touch, at https://willowwood.org.uk/corporate-support/

By Adam Higgins

Posted on by

Use your free Will to give to Willow Wood

A number of local solicitors will be waiving their fees in return for a donation to Willow Wood Hospice during Will Month this March.

Nobody knows what is around the corner but, by creating a Will, people can have the reassurance of knowing that their wishes are in black and white, and that those they care about are provided for.

This legal document not only provides for people’s loved ones but also ensures that their wishes are respected and upheld.

Now thanks to partnering solicitors, people can make a Will which also makes a difference to patients with a life-limiting illness in the care of Willow Wood Hospice in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester.

In return for their valued services, the solicitors ask that people make a donation to the Hospice. They suggest £100 for a simple single Will, £150 for a simple mirror Will and £50 for changes to an existing Will – these amounts are well below the solicitors’ usual Will writing fees.

Sam Duncan, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Willow Wood Hospice, is getting involved in Will Month by making her own Will – something she has been meaning to do for some time.

“It’s something I’ve been talking about doing for years but, for me, it’s been a case of getting round to doing it,” Sam explained.

“I’ve ran out of excuses now! My personal circumstances have changed recently and it has made me think about planning for the future. I want to make sure all my ducks are in a row for when I’m no longer here.

“I have children who are adults and I’m giving them advice about planning for their future in investments etc so they are thinking about these sorts of things. Making a Will is long overdue and it’s great that I can take this much-needed step in conjunction with raising funds for Willow Wood.”

Sam with one of her children, Georgie

Sam, 55, from Bury in Greater Manchester, wants to encourage others to support the Hospice and believes the Will Month campaign is a great way to do so.

“I think it’s brilliant that local solicitors are partnering with us and waiving their fee to offer their services,” she said.

“It’s great that they have chosen to support Willow Wood in this campaign and we are grateful to them.

“I want to encourage other people to support Willow Wood Hospice. I also have personal experience of my dad being cared for by our local hospice. I’m forever indebted for the care my dad received so I will always want to support any local hospice, especially Willow Wood.”

William Waddock (pictured below), more commonly known as Bill, will also be making a Will during the Hospice’s Will Month as the retired former plant fitter from Audenshaw wants his wishes to be in writing to support his family when he is no longer here.

Although Bill is in relatively good health, he is active and spends a lot of time abroad. He will soon be 79 years old and believes now is the time to think about his future.

Supporting Willow Wood Hospice whose team cared for his wife before she died in 2010 is also important to Bill, who has four children, 11 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

He has since volunteered for the Hospice, doing odd jobs around the charity shops, and donates whenever he can.

“I don’t want my family to have any problems when I die and I want to make the financial side as easy as possible for them,” Bill said.

“When I heard about Will Month, I thought it was a great opportunity to support Willow Wood Hospice and put my future plans into place.”

Find out more about how you can use your free Will to give at https://willowwood.org.uk/events/will-month/

Posted on by

Friends to embark on zip line adventure for Hospice

A group of four friends are gearing up for a day of thrills when they take on the world’s fastest zip line in aid of Willow Wood Hospice.

Sue Lord, Julie Trickey, Nanette Backhouse and Alison Gough will rise to the challenge of speeding up to 100mph over Penrhyn Quarry in picturesque north Wales.

Sue, Julie and Nanette are members of the Willow Wood Hospice Choir, which sings every Tuesday evening at the Hospice and holds fundraising events throughout the year.

The ladies are in their 40s, 50s and 70s respectively and all live in and around the Tameside area.

Sue already knows what to expect as she braved a zip line for the Hospice at the same site some 12 years ago.

“It was awesome, just amazing,” she said. “I really enjoyed it. The whole experience was exhilarating and we all had a really good time.

“I chatted to Sam, the Hospice’s Fundraising Manager, and suggested doing it again. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It’s organised as a package now which is brilliant.”

(left to right) Alison, Julie, Sue and Nanette at the Hospice wearing their #TeamWillowWood t-shirts

Sue – who worked at Willow Wood for 15 years in the finance department and now volunteers since retiring around seven years ago – got her fellow team members on board but the Hospice means so much to them all.

“Julie has done an abseil from IKEA and danced at one of the Strictly events for the hospice,” Sue explained.

“Nanette has helped out in the gardens before through corporate volunteering and doing the zip line has been on Alison’s bucket list so she was keen to get involved.

“We just want to raise as much money as possible for Willow Wood whilst having lots of fun. We are really looking forward to it.”

The group have two JustGiving pages if you would like to support them by making a donation. Visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/alison-nanette2024 or https://www.justgiving.com/page/sueandjuliezip

Places are still available for teams of four to take part in the Velocity Team Challenge on Saturday 16th March.

For more information, visit https://willowwood.org.uk/events/zip-line/

By Adam Higgins

Posted on by

Ashton shop manager speaks to Tameside Radio

The manager of our Ashton-under-Lyne shop, Denise Royle, has been speaking to Tameside Radio’s Alex Cann about how you can support the Hospice through our shops. 

The interview was first aired on the Breakfast show on Monday 5th February.

If you missed their chat, you can listen below…

Posted on by

Ashton girl’s festive fundraising in memory of her nan

An enthusiastic girl made Christmas tree decorations to raise a fantastic amount for Willow Wood Hospice, which supported her nan.

Ava Knott crafted her own Gonks, which she sold at the Christmas Market and one of the Garden of Lights celebration evenings at the Hospice with her mum Cheryl.

The 10-year-old from Ashton-under-Lyne made around 85 in total – some of them even travelled as far as France!

The Holden Clough Community Primary School pupil raised £201.60, which will make a difference to patients with any life-limiting illness from Tameside and Glossop in Willow Wood’s care.

Ava’s mum Cheryl said: “We also sold them to family and friends, and even friends of friends as other people heard about what she was doing and wanted to support her. We’ve done so many orders!

“We suggested a donation of £2 for one, but some people donated as much as £6.”

Helping the Hospice based in Ashton-under-Lyne is important to Ava’s family, and making the Gonks was a creative way for Ava to show her own support.

Cheryl explained: “We lost my mum, Ava’s nan Lynn Elizabeth Knott, in October 2022 so Ava knows how much this has meant to us as a family. The Hospice supported us when we needed it.

“It started off when my sister, Ava’s auntie Michaela, came around one day and, as the weather was bad outside, she suggested making some Gonks.

“We got some wool out and then she said all we needed was a toilet roll holder. That’s how they started to make them.

“Ava then carried on making them and then she asked me if we could sell them as we had been saying how good they were. She then came up with the idea of giving the money she raised to Willow Wood.

“I put a Facebook post on with a picture of three of the Gonks, saying that Ava was thinking about selling these to raise money for Willow Wood in memory of her nan and before we knew it, orders were coming in. Every day, people were messaging asking for a particular colour.

“She made a variety of colours and I helped her out with the gluing part but she’s done it mainly on her own, in her own time after school and at weekends. She’s been very enthusiastic about it.”

Selling the festive-themed Gonks has encouraged Ava to think about more fundraising ideas for the Hospice.

Cheryl said: “We’ve got Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day coming up and she’s been thinking about what she can do for those, so she’ll be busy over the next few weeks!”

Ava is grateful for all of the support she has received so far.

The youngster told us: “I want to thank my mum and my auntie Michaela for helping me and giving me the idea. My grandad Allan has also been very supportive.”

If you would like to join Ava in helping to raise funds for Willow Wood Hospice in any way, you can contact our Fundraising Team by emailing fundraising@willowwood.org.uk or call 0161 330 7788.

By Adam Higgins