Supporters of the Weldmar Hospice charity, who have raised over £11,000 were commended by Oscar winner and creator of Downton Abbey, Lord Julian Fellowes in a presentation evening on Friday night.
The ceremony, which took place at the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester, was to celebrate the achievements of those who took part in the ‘Go for Gold’ sponsored challenges – an initiative set up by the charity to raise vital funds to ensure the continuation of the services it provides.
Lord Fellowes, who is the Vice President of Weldmar Hospicecare Trust, said he felt ‘honoured’ to see this tremendously worthwhile cause being supported by people who have selflessly given up their time for the charity.
“I am in awe of what you have put into this,” he said.
The Go for Gold campaign was inspired by the Olympic fever which came to Dorset as Weymouth and Portland hosted the sailing events for the 2012 Games. The nature of the challenge could be decided by the participant, which included anything from a 30 metre free dive to a sponsored silence.
“We decided to open it up and people could do something personal to them,” said Matt Smith, the Fundraising Manager. “A lot of the people who have done this campaign have been affected by our services and are passionate about the charity,” he added.
The NHS only funds 25% of the money needed for the charity to run.
“As a charity, we need to raise £15,000 a day,” said Matt. “The money raised tonight will go towards our general funds of caring for patients and their families throughout the whole of Dorset,” he added.
The charity, which relies heavily on donations, employs community nurses to meet the needs of the patients who wish to remain at home throughout their treatment – a vitally important service to both the patients and their families.
“We are pleased with the response from the local community because it’s them that are keeping the services going. We initially aimed to raise £2,500” said Matt, who recognised that for a community to come together during a recession, is worth more than gold.
Olympic Torch Bearer, Tim Ellis, a retired Assistant Governor and Head of Custody in HM Prison Service, raised £650 for the charity by taking his torch ‘on tour’ around the South West and asking for one-pound donations from everyone who had their photo taken with it.
Inspired by the charity due to his personal experiences, Tim raised £2,000 earlier in the year by completing a marathon endurance test of cycling, kayaking and running from London to Paris. “I wanted to do it because I lost my mum to cancer two years ago and a couple of work colleagues ended their lives in Weldmar,” he said.
Tim was both delighted and shocked at the interest the torch generated. During the torch relay, Tim visited the hospice with the Olympic Torch to share it with patients who were unable to get out into the community, and he used this as inspiration to use the Go for Gold Challenge to top up the funds he had already raised.
Sally Wellbourn
