Great way to kick off our hospice campaign (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Great way to kick off our hospice campaign

9:00am Thursday 29th July 2010

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AS part of the Journal’s £15,000 St Richard’s Hospice appeal, reporter Sarah Hickinbotham talks to Evesham man Mark Payne about the care his mother Gill received when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

MARK Payne was 20 when his mother Gill discovered a lump in her breast.

Despite four months of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the cancer spread beyond control.

In her last few months, Gill was cared for at her Offenham home by a member of St Richard’s Hospice community care team.

She lost her fight on December 17, 1997, leaving behind Mark, his sister Shelley and her husband, the late Trevor Payne. It was a difficult time for the family, but 33-year-old Mark said the hospice provided invaluable support.

“The hospice was really helpful and really caring,” he said.

“When mum fell ill, it was the first time we had heard of St Richard’s because we’d not had a reason to use them before.

“Even after mum died, they were phoning up and making sure we were ok, asking if we wanted to talk to anyone. They really were invaluable.”

Soon after, an opportunity arose for Mark – a store assistant at Evesham’s Worcester Road Tesco – to show his appreciation for the hospice. “We always had a Tesco football team and we used to play against Safeway, which is now Morrisons,” he said.

“Somebody suggested we should do a match for charity and I put forward the idea of raising money for St Richard’s.”

The first match in 1998 raised £800 for the charity and the friendly rivalry between the two supermarkets has helped to generate thousands of pounds over the past 12 years. Preparations are now underway for the 13th game at Pershore Town Football Club on August 22 at 6pm.

It is inspiring stories like Mark’s that encouraged us here at the Journal to launch a £15,000 fund-raising drive for a new £978,000 Community Care Centre, which will be built at its Wildwood Drive headquarters.

The hospice has been given a £600,000 government grant for the scheme, which will help provide care in the community for hundreds more patients and their families, but it is relying on public donations to generate the rest of the money needed.

This week, it was announced Malvern-based contractors Speller Metcalfe had been appointed to carry out the build, with work starting next month. It is hoped the development will be open by March next year.

Mark Jackson, chief executive of the hospice, said: “We can’t wait for the work to begin.”

Speller Metcalfe’s managing director, Steve Speller, told the Journal the firm was delighted to continue its “excellent” relationship with the hospice and was looking forward to its involvement with the new annexe.

Journal readers can do their bit to support St Richard's Hospice by holding charitable events of their own, and telling us about them by calling 01386 444054 or e-mailing sarah.hickinbotham@evesham journal.co.uk. Donations can also be made to justgiving.com/comm unitycarecentre. For more details, visit strichards.org.uk/community carecentre.

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