5:00pm Thursday 24th December 2009
By Katie Adams
Dorothy House Hospice has been boosted by two donations from fundraisers.
An impressive £14,000 was handed over by a group led by two women who hold the charity close to their hearts.
Known as The Friends, the group is run by Brenda Abbott, from Shaw, and Ann Peirce, from Trowbridge, who have been collecting money for the hospice for more than 20 years.
The result of a year’s worth of fundraising was handed over at the latest event, a carols and supper evening held last Wednesday at the Spencer Sport and Social Club in Beanacre Road, Melksham.
Mrs Abbott said she started fundraising after the death of a family member, during which she saw how much good the hospice does in the community.
“They do such a good job and look after so many people, so it is just a very special charity that is every close to my heart,” she said.
“I think over the last 20 years we have probably raised over £250,000 for Dorothy House and the amount of people that give us money for them is amazing too.
“I want to thank Spencers as they are always very accommodating and give us the use of the hall for free. They are brilliant.
“We also get a lot of people who just donate money to us from their own events, to pass on to Dorothy House. I have just had £50 from Roy Houkes from Southwick and £235 from Head Start hairdressers in Corsham.”
Wiltshire Freemasons handed over more than £7,000 to Dorothy House Hospice following a fundraising concert in Melksham.
The sell-out Voices for Hospices concert was held at Melksham Assembly Hall on October 10, featuring the City of Bath Male Choir, conducted by Grenville Jones and Melksham soprano Rhiannon Lambert.
Sarah Whitfield, chief executive of Dorothy House in Winsley, was presented with the money by Francis Wakem QPM, Provincial Grand Master for Wiltshire, Grahame Peers, Worshipful Master of the Wiltshire Lodge of Agriculture, which meets in Corsham, and Jim Hurst CPM, Provincial Grand Charity Steward.
The £2,800 from the concert was boosted by £2,000 from the Provincial Grand Master’s special fund and more than £2,200 from the Freemasons Grand Charity.
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