‘We’re remembering our dear friend through the Cornerstones initiative’

An ‘amazing friend who was full of fun’ is being remembered with a very special tribute, through the charity she devoted more than 30 years to.

Margaret Ward was a dedicated volunteer at St Catherine’s Hospice for more than three decades, and is being honoured by her friends through the charity’s unique Cornerstones initiative.

Margaret’s name will be featured on the commemorative Cornerstones artwork in The Mill café, which is located in the hospice grounds and raises vital funds for the cause.

Cornerstones members pledge a donation for their chosen name to be included in this special piece of history, recognising their long-term support for St Catherine’s and The Mill.

Margaret’s friend Andrea Baxter said: “The hospice was Margaret’s life. She was a bookkeeper by trade for a jewellers but she absolutely loved volunteering and the list of areas she would help out in just seemed to keep growing!

“She started as a volunteer on the ward and then trained as a volunteer auxiliary nurse. She also lent a hand in the fundraising and appeals team, helped out in the laundry room, and at fundraising events. Whichever department needed an extra pair of hands, Margaret would be there.”

Andrea, who also volunteered on the wards when the hospice first opened, added: “She would talk to anybody – she would chat to people stood in a queue at the shops. She just got on with everyone and was such a kind and caring person. We had a lot of laughs as well.”

Andrea and her sister Sylvia Whitely have paid tribute to family members through the first phase of the Cornerstones initiative, and have now joined friends Ellen Savage and Gina Bailey to make a donation in Margaret’s memory.

The five friends all met through volunteering at the hospice, and have enjoyed many holidays, day trips, Christmases and birthdays together. Margaret and Ellen were among those to form the St Catherine’s Craft Group, who meet monthly to create beautiful items for sale in the charity’s shops and at events, such as Yellow Ribbon Day and the Christmas Fayre.

Gina said: “Margaret had a gift for making displays look fantastic and she was the best at selling! Her stalls were always so busy and she’d sell crafts and Sylvia’s homemade jams for the hospice. She really enjoyed getting involved in events and meeting new people. She was just so full of fun and was always smartly dressed with her hair done.”

Ellen added:  “She was a wonderful person. When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s she still remembered everything about the hospice and would talk so fondly about St Catherine’s. She never lost her caring nature or her sense of humour, and everybody just loved her.

“She made so many friends through the hospice. We were her family really; she said that without St Catherine’s she wouldn’t have a family. During her funeral, the car drove into the hospice grounds, and there were so many staff and volunteers lined up along the driveway to show their respects. It was the most moving thing I’ve ever seen, and it meant so much to us that Margaret had touched so many lives.”

Anyone is welcome to become a Cornerstones member – individually or as a group – and can choose their own name or someone else’s to feature, with many supporters opting to use the opportunity to honour their loved ones.

Sylvia said: “We attended the Cornerstones members’ evening at The Mill last year where the commemorative artwork was unveiled, which was a very special occasion. We thought it would be such a fitting tribute to Margaret, and we were glad we hadn’t missed the opportunity.

“Margaret was always so generous with the hospice and she would be so supportive of anything which helps the sustainability of the charity, like The Mill and the Cornerstones initiative. She would be very proud to be included I think.”

The friends said: “It’s so nice to talk about Margaret and meet up in The Mill for lunch to share memories of her. We’re proud to be able to honour her memory at the place she loved so dearly.”

• The final phase of the Cornerstones initiative is underway and the last part of the artwork will be installed later this year. There are limited spaces available, and there is a suggested minimum donation of £250 for a name to be engraved in the commemorative feature. To find out more, please email emily.carpenter@stcatherines.uat-web.co.uk or call 01772 629171.

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