Pupils visit hospice after donating concert funds

Pupils from a Leyland primary school enjoyed a tour of St Catherine’s Hospice to see for themselves how money they raised for the charity helps care for local people.

A group of Year 6 children from Moss Side Primary School joined deputy head Cathy Heaton to visit the beautiful grounds of St Catherine’s Park and gain an insight into what goes on at the hospice itself.

It came after different year groups performed their annual school concerts and held a collection for the charity rather than charging for tickets – resulting in £807 being donated by generous parents and teachers.

Mrs Heaton said: “It was a World War Two theme and there was lots of singing, dancing and music, with a live band. Children wrote to various VIP guests to invite them along to the shows, including the mayor, MP, and school governors.”

Norman Cutler, fundraiser at St Catherine’s, said: “Here at the hospice we have built some really good relationships with local schools, and we’re always happy to invite children and their teachers in to show them what the hospice is all about.

“We want to break down barriers and dispel myths surrounding hospices, showing them that St Catherine’s isn’t a scary place where people just come to die.

“Our staff and volunteers do so much good for the community, from the day therapy sessions to the Lymphoedema Clinic, and the earlier we can reach out to future generations, the better understanding they will have about all areas of palliative and end-of-life care. It’s an important part of what we do.”

He added: “We were delighted to invite pupils from Moss Side to St Catherine’s Park, and are immensely grateful that they chose our charity as the beneficiary of their annual school concerts this year.

“It costs £5m a year to run the hospice and its services out in the community, and we need to generate £3.7m of that from charitable efforts and donations. We rely on the continued support of the local community to provide specialised care for people facing life-shortening illnesses, and always appreciate it when people go the extra mile to help us along the way.”

– If your school or community group would like to visit St Catherine’s Hospice, or to speak with someone about fundraising for the charity, contact Norman on 01772 629171 or email norman.cutler@stcatherines.uat-web.co.uk

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