Family's £42,000 fundraiser in honour of Carole

The family of a former patient at Sue Ryder's Thorpe Hall has raised an incredible £42,000 for the hospice in a year of fundraising.
David skydivingDavid skydiving
David skydiving

Carole Glenn’s family have thrown themselves into fundraising in her memory, since she spent her final hours at the hospice in Peterborough last December. She died just minutes before the clock struck midnight marking her 69th birthday.

The fundraising began at the wake held in her honour with a pledge to raise £10,000 in a year.

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The family were full of money-spinning ideas. Husband David skydived, jumping out of a small plane at 12,000 feet.

“I’m not very good with heights or aeroplanes so it was certainly a challenge,” said David. “I’m not a brave person but as I tumbled out of the plane and then drifted to earth all I thought about was Carole. I’d always taken my strength from her and I was doing this in her memory.”

David’s personal challenge raised more than £2,800. Carole’s three brothers Tim, Chris and Rob and their families, Carole’s daughters Anna and Daniella and seven grandchildren pitched in with their own skills, roping in friends and organising events.

The Red Lion pub in Warmington, run by Carole’s brother Tim Stubbs and partner Richard Bright, became the centre of much of the activity, including the final gala dinner for 70 guests. The pub has hosted afternoon teas, comedy and curry nights, a charity auction and flower demonstrations with regulars and villagers getting involved too. The family have also organised sponsored walks, golf days and collections.

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Tim said: “Carole was our big sister – we called her ‘Sis’ - and although she was small she was the one we looked up to. She was always immaculately turned out, she was a no-nonsense talker and she would bend over backwards to help her family and friends.

“It’s entirely down to her and the person she was that we’ve been able to raise so much money. So many people who knew her have been so generous.”

And Tim says the fundraising, which officially ended on December 4, which would have been Carole’s 70th birthday, has helped the family through the grieving process.

“Carole was the glue of our family and over the last year since she died of cancer that’s continued as we’ve focussed as a family on the fundraising,” said Tim. “Losing Carole was the hardest thing I’ve been through. But seeing how much has been raised in her name means it wasn’t in vain.”

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The family were delighted to welcome Thorpe Hall Hospice registered nurse Frances Dickinson and fundraiser Joely Garner to the gala dinner for the official cheque presentation.

Joely said: “We’ve worked closely with Carole’s family over the last year and through them we’ve heard so much about Carole. This is an incredible amount of money which is testament to the high regard in which she was held by so many people.

“£42,000 is an astonishing amount of money to raise in a year and all of us here are so grateful to everyone involved.”

For more information about Thorpe Hall Hospice please visit www.sueryder.org/thorpehall or call 01733 225999.

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