Tag: Patrons

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Flower Festival blooms again at Willow Wood with magical success

Hundreds of visitors visited the ninth annual Flower Festival at Willow Wood Hospice across a sun-soaked weekend to experience the spellbinding sights and floral delights.

The event has already raised over £6,000 towards patient care at the Hospice, based in Ashton-under-Lyne, with more money still to come in.

Guests who came on Saturday, May 10, and Sunday, May 11, wandered through an enchanting array of 21 floral displays which followed the theme of the magical world of Harry Potter.

The wizarding world of Hogwarts was reflected – from the Ministry of Magic and Quidditch, to The Prisoner of Azkaban and even Professor Pomona Sprout’s Herbology Class.

To further boost Hospice funds, each display had a price tag attached so they could be purchased by those in attendance and collected at the end of the festival.

The festival was officially opened on Saturday morning by Hospice patron Ellie Leach – a former Coronation Street star and Strictly Come Dancing champion – who cut the ribbon.

Adding an extra touch of Harry Potter magic on Saturday was Bill Andrew — the real-life driver of the Hogwarts Express in all seven films — who shared stories from behind the scenes and signed books and photos for delighted fans.

Visitors also enjoyed posing for photos with life-sized cutouts of Harry Potter characters, generously donated by Star Cutouts UK, which were available to buy at the end of the weekend to raise additional funds for the Hospice.

There were also refreshments served by a band of volunteers in The Hive, and Prosecco in the Garden Room, where there was card, craft, wooden craft, cake, tombola and raffle stalls for visitors to browse.

Outside in the Hospice’s picturesque gardens, guests basked in the beautiful weather while enjoying live music from the Mossley Ukulele Group and Mike Styan and friends on Saturday, and the Sounds Familiar Ukulele Band on Sunday.

The festival is organised by a committee of dedicated volunteers, comprising Eileen Smith, Ann Fee, Pauline Giblin, Christine Lucas, Sheila Redfearn, Lorraine Vaughton, Moya Evans and Pam Chadwick.

Speaking on behalf of the Flower Festival Committee, Eileen said: “It was an amazing weekend and the weather was glorious. We’re so grateful to everyone who came along to support the festival. A special thank you to our Willow Wood patron Ellie Leach for opening the event, and to Bill Andrew for travelling from Crewe to share his unique Hogwarts stories.

“We would also like to thank everyone who helped in any way — from arranging flowers and sponsoring displays, to working in the kitchen and manning the stalls. A big shoutout goes to Jeanette, Christine and John who work all year to handcraft cards, cushions, and wooden gifts — donating 100 per cent of their takings to Willow Wood.”

As the petals settle on another successful festival, the committee will soon start looking ahead to next year’s event — which will mark the 10th edition of this much-loved community celebration.

It costs £3.6 million a year for Willow Wood Hospice to continue providing its vital services to deliver compassionate care to patients from Tameside and Glossop with a life-limiting illness.

With only around 24 per cent of that total coming from the Government, the Hospice relies on the generosity of the community by making donations; organising or supporting fundraising events; donating or buying goods to its charity shops; leaving gifts in Wills; joining the weekly lottery or volunteering.

If you would like to organise your own fundraiser for Willow Wood, the Hospice’s Fundraising team can support you – contact fundraising@willowwood.org.uk or call 0161 330 7788.

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Strictly star enjoys festive floristry with patients

A Strictly Come Dancing champion brought some sparkle to a festive wreath-making session at Willow Wood Hospice.

Ellie Leach, who is a patron of the Hospice, joined Wellbeing patients for an afternoon of craft and creativity last Thursday (12th December).

The workshop in The Hive – the Hospice’s Wellbeing activity space – was led by volunteer Brenda Wardle and her granddaughter Sarah.

Brenda sourced some of the materials to make the wreaths and some came from generous donations from the local community through our charity shops.

Julie Moran, Wellbeing Team Leader at Willow Wood, said: “Our patients had a wonderful time creating their festive wreaths alongside Ellie.

“Her kindness, enthusiasm and down-to-earth nature brought so much joy to the session. We thank Ellie so much for making the day extra special.

“Creativity and crafts help to enhance mental health and wellbeing by reducing stress, boosting mood and enabling self-expression and mindfulness.”

Willow Wood – based in Ashton-under-Lyne – provides specialist, compassionate and dignified care to patients from Tameside and Glossop with any life-limiting illness, empowering them to live as well as possible for as long as possible.

The Hospice’s patrons believe in the aims of Willow Wood, help raise valuable funds for its work and generate awareness of achievements and campaigns.

In October 2023, Ellie became the youngest-ever patron of the Hospice – where her grandad died.

The 23-year-old – who was last year’s winner of the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing – is best known for playing Faye Windass in ITV’s Coronation Street for 12 years before leaving the cobbles last year.

Ellie, who lives in Audenshaw, says she enjoyed the experience of meeting patients and encourages the local community to continuing supporting the Hospice.

“I had such a lovely time talking to the patients, seeing their creativity shine and getting into the festive spirit with them – the final creations looked superb,” said Ellie.

“The environment at the Hospice is so warm and welcoming. I feel very proud to be able to support such a fantastic place, which really needs all of our support.

“If you can make a donation however small, volunteer your time or buy from Willow Wood’s charity shops, you really will be making a difference.”

The Wellbeing team provides personalised, emotional and psychological support through one-to-one and group sessions, focused on being active and promoting mindfulness, relaxation and self-care and complementary therapies.

If you or someone you know is living with a life-limiting illness in Tameside and Glossop, you can find out what support could be available to you by calling 0161 330 1100.

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Former Tameside mayor becomes a Hospice patron

Willow Wood is delighted to announce that Tafheen Sharif has agreed to become a patron of the Hospice.

Councillor Sharif JP made history when she became the first Muslim and ethnic minority person to serve as the Civic Mayor of Tameside during 2023/24.

During her successful term as Mayor, she helped to raise thousands of pounds for charities, showed energy, dynamism and a fresh approach to inspiring and opening doors for others, and making positive changes to communities.

Cllr Sharif JP has represented the Mossley ward on Tameside Council since 2016 and has been a member of several panels and committees, including Chair of the Children’s Services Scrutiny Panel. She now serves as the Assistant Cabinet Member for community cohesion.

Tafheen has been a long-time supporter of the Hospice, based in Ashton-under-Lyne, which provides compassionate care for patients with any life-limiting illnesses in Tameside and Glossop.

Our patrons believe in the aims of Willow Wood, help raise valuable funds for our work and generate awareness of our achievements and campaigns.

Tafheen said: “I am truly humbled to be asked to be a patron of Willow Wood Hospice.

“Willow Wood is our special gem in Tameside and it means so much to many of our families across the borough.

“I don’t take any responsibility lightly, and I look forward to raising Willow Wood’s profile and adding further value to this amazing place.”

Tracy Minshull, CEO of Willow Wood Hospice, said: “We are delighted to welcome Taf as our newest patron and we are looking forward to working with her.

“Taf’s dedication and passion for improving the lives of local people can make a real difference in our mission, to lead and deliver high quality multi-professional specialist palliative care, support and education across Tameside and Glossop.”

Philip Millson, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “Taf has already been a brilliant supporter of the Hospice and we are thrilled that she has agreed to join us as a patron.

“We know that she will be a fantastic ambassador and help to improve the Hospice’s profile in the local community and beyond.”

Cllr Sharif JP brings a wealth of experience, as she holds a legal honours degree and works in the courts service. She is a Justice of the Peace and has governed across many schools over the years.

From 2011 to 2015, Tafheen was a member of Luton Borough Council, where she served as Cabinet member for Community Safety. She is also the former Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire, leading on Community Engagement and Partnerships.

She is dedicated to making a difference to communities and has founded a number of successful initiatives. In a relatively short period of time, she was recognised nationally and awarded ‘Young Councillor of the Year’ by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) for her community work at the time.

Tafheen has held a number of directorships and board level positions, including a law centre and a housing association. Since 2015, she has served on the board of Home-Start HOST, presently Vice Chair, a charity which helps families in Tameside and beyond.

Cllr Sharif JP’s interests include spending time with her family, which includes her four children, walking, reading, and listening to motivational podcasts.

Tafheen will be in good company as a patron, joining fellow former Coronation Street stars Julie Goodyear MBE and Julie Hesmondhalgh, as well as comedian Justin Moorhouse, Greater Manchester’s Vice Lord Lieutenant Sharman Birtles MBE, former Civic Mayor of Tameside Brian Wild and retired businessman Phil Cowper.

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Willow Wood patron becomes Strictly champion

Willow Wood Hospice patron Ellie Leach blew the competition off the dancefloor to be crowned a worthy winner of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. 

The 22-year-old actress from Tameside emerged victorious in the youngest-ever final line-up on Saturday night to lift the glitter ball trophy, ahead of actors Bobby Brazier, 20, and Layton Williams, 29.

Ellie, who was the bookmakers’ favourite to win, performed three dances with partner Vito Coppola – one chosen by the judges, one was their own favourite dance from the series, and the other was a show dance.

The four judges gave advisory scores but the final decision was taken by the public through a vote, which Ellie topped after 12 weeks of tangos, salsas and foxtrots.

“I genuinely cannot believe this,” Ellie said on BBC One in the aftermath of being announced as the 21st winner of the show.

“For once, he [Vito] is crying more than me,” she said. She turned to her dance partner and said: “This is for you.”

Ellie, a former pupil of Fairfield High School For Girls in Droylsden and Aldwyn Primary School in Audenshaw, is best known for her 12 years playing Faye Windass on ITV soap Coronation Street.

Her family, friends and ex-Corrie co-stars cheered her on from Ellie’s hometown pub The Snipe in Audenshaw on the night and celebrated her success.

Ellie has described her experience on Strictly as “life-changing” and totally different to filming scenes on the famous Corrie cobbles.

Her exhilarating and versatile performances wowed the judges and audiences both in the studio and at home throughout.

In the early weeks of the competition, back in October, Ellie agreed to become Willow Wood’s youngest ever patron. She was already a friend of the Hospice, where her grandad sadly died.

Everyone at Willow Wood congratulates Ellie on her achievement and cannot wait to welcome her back at the Hospice as a Strictly champion.

In the build-up to the final, staff from across the Hospice wished Ellie good luck:

And this is how we congratulated Ellie on her victory on our social media channels:

By Adam Higgins

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Strictly star becomes our youngest ever patron

Willow Wood is delighted to announce that Ellie Leach has agreed to become the Hospice’s youngest ever patron.

The 22-year-old local actress is already a friend of the Hospice, where her grandad sadly passed away, and she has also supported some of our events.

Ellie will be familiar to many soap fans after starring as Faye Windass in ITV’s Coronation Street for 12 years, before she left the famous cobbles behind in May this year.

She has connections to Tameside, where the Hospice is based, as she was born in Audenshaw and is a past pupil of Fairfield High School For Girls in Droylsden.

Ellie is currently on our TV screens every Saturday night, strutting her stuff in the 21st series of Strictly Come Dancing on the BBC, alongside her professional dance partner Vito Coppola.

Her performances have already been well received by the judges and audiences at home. Everyone at Willow Wood is supporting Ellie and wishes her well in her bid to claim the coveted glitter ball.

You can follow her dancing and career progress on Instagram and TikTok, as well as her support for the Hospice on the Willow Wood social media platforms.

Our patrons believe in the aims of Willow Wood, help raise valuable funds for our work and generate awareness of our achievements and campaigns.

Ellie said: “I am absolutely honoured to become a patron for Willow Wood. I am in awe of the work that the Hospice does and would love to be a part of it.”

Philip Millson, Chair and Trustee of Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “We are absolutely delighted that Ellie has agreed to come on board as a patron and be associated with the Hospice.

“She is well known to so many people and will be a fantastic ambassador for Willow Wood.”

Sam Duncan, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Willow Wood Hospice, added: “Ellie is an absolute superstar and a fabulous role model for young people.

“She is passionate about hospice care and is very keen to be involved. We cannot wait to work with her to help improve the Hospice’s profile and support patient care.”

Ellie will be in good company as a patron, joining fellow former Coronation Street stars Julie Goodyear MBE and Julie Hesmondhalgh, as well as celebrated cartoonist Tony Husband, comedian Justin Moorhouse, Greater Manchester’s Vice Lord Lieutenant Sharman Birtles MBE, former Civic Mayor of Tameside Brian Wild and retired businessman Phil Cowper.

By Adam Higgins