Eighty local businesses are coming together this Christmas for a charity raffle run through social media to raise funds for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice.
The festive fundraiser is being organised by small business owners, Ellie Tindale and Lauren Staff, from Peterborough. They are running their raffle through Instagram and Facebook, with tickets on sale now priced at £2 each with all proceeds going to the hospice.
At the time of writing, Ellie and Lauren had raised more than £1,000 for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, so the hospice’s care teams can be there for more local families – helping them fill their final days with love.
Scores of kind-hearted businesses in and around Peterborough have thrown their support behind the raffle and donated prizes, including restaurants, beauty salons, tea rooms, florists, dog groomers, photographers, hairdressers and bakers.
A variety of gifts and experiences are up for grabs, including an alpaca meet and greet experience, a family photo shoot, beauty treatments, sweets and cakes, an afternoon tea with Prosecco, and ice skating.
This is the second year in a row Ellie and Lauren have held their raffle; last year, they raised more than £2,000 for Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, a cause close to their hearts.
The pair were inspired to fundraise for the hospice after experiencing its compassionate care and support first-hand; the hospice’s team cared for Ellie’s grandmother Ruby in 2002 and Lauren’s grandfather John in 2010.
Ellie, who runs The Lash Fairy Co, explained: “During the height of the pandemic last year, we spent time chatting online with other local business owners. Lauren and I ended up talking about Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice with them – the majority of people in Peterborough know someone who has been cared for by the hospice. That’s where the idea for the raffle came from. We can’t imagine Peterborough without Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice; it means a lot to us and we want to keep supporting it and raising funds.
Lauren, who runs Bakes by Mrs S with her partner, said: “Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice is a place that many people locally have a connection with, including Ellie and I – as we have both had family members cared for there. We are fundraising in their memory, to give back and say thank you. Many of the businesses who are supporting the raffle also have a connection to the hospice.”
Ellie added: “Last year, we set our fundraising target at £200 – and managed to smash that figure in just 24 hours, which was amazing! We didn’t expect it; the total just kept going up and up. We hope we can replicate our success this year and have set ourselves a target of raising £2,000.
“We are really excited about this year’s raffle – we have reached out to a wider variety of businesses, and have some even more amazing prizes. So far, around 80 local companies have donated prizes. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us so far – there’s still plenty of time to get tickets. We will draw the raffle live on Instagram and Facebook on Sunday 12th December.”
You can donate to Ellie and Lauren’s raffle through JustGiving: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/pborocharityraffle2 and follow it on Instagram: www.instagram.com/pborocharityraffle and Facebook: www.facebook.com/pborocharityraffle.
Helen Kingston, Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, said: “At Sue Ryder we believe that the end of someone’s life is the most important time of their life. Our care teams do all they can to make room for the things that matter to a patient – like spending time with loved ones, sharing stories, jokes and memories, and filling their final days with love.
“It’s truly fitting that our super supporters Ellie and Lauren – along with more than 60 local businesses – will be helping to raise vital funds so someone can experience as much comfort and joy as possible at the end of their life, while creating special memories for local families this Christmas too.”
With figures showing every 4.5 minutes someone in the UK dies without the specialist end of life care they need, national healthcare charity Sue Ryder, which runs Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in Peterborough, is asking people to back an appeal to help them be there for more families when it matters.
Donations to the appeal will enable Sue Ryder to deliver the expert and compassionate palliative care they are so well known for. Helping to manage symptoms as well as give advice on the practicalities, so that patients and their families can place their focus on filling their final days together with love.
For more information and to donate visit www.sueryder.org/careatchristmas.
