Local company Frimley Pits Fisheries has raised £20,399 for Hospice Care charity Phyllis Tuckwell, through its fifth annual fundraising weekend.
Run by Mark and Lorraine Fisher, the local fishery has supported Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice Care for several years, and in 2015 held its first social fishing weekend. A huge success, it inspired the couple to make it an annual event, and this year’s took place on the weekend of Friday 19th to Sunday 21st July. Many fishermen and their families camped at the site over the weekend, fishing for common and mirror carp in the day and socialising in the evenings. A BBQ on the Saturday provided sustenance for the visitors as well as raising money for Phyllis Tuckwell, while an auction and raffle added to both the fun and the funds.
The money raised will go towards funding the supportive and end of life care which Phyllis Tuckwell provides for patients and families who are living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer, in West Surrey and North East Hampshire. Every day it supports over 250 patients, relatives and carers – in their own homes, in the community, at the Hospice in Farnham and at the Beacon Centre in Guildford – through medical and nursing care, therapies, counselling, social work advice and practical support. However, as the NHS/Government only covers 20% of its costs, it has to raise over £20,000 a day to be able to do this, and therefore relies heavily on the support and generosity of the local community, who raise money through events such as this.
“We would like to thank Mark, Lorraine and everyone at Frimley Pits Fisheries who helped to raise this fantastic amount of money,” said Leanne Magee, Community Fundraiser at Phyllis Tuckwell. “£20,399 could cover the costs of our whole Hospice Care at Home nursing team for over a week. Our HCAH team looks after nearly 600 patients a year, visiting them at home or in their care home, and enabling them to spend their last days in this comfortable and familiar environment, surrounded by their family and their memories.”
“We are very pleased to be able to support such an important local charity,” said Mark and Lorraine Fisher. “We would like to thank everyone who came along to the event, especially all the hard work put in by Les Bowers, Rick Harrison, Nigel Sharp, Louise Bowes, Bryan Davies and all of the chefs who helped provide a wonderful feast on the day. Everyone was so generous, especially when it came to the raffle and auction, and it’s that generosity which has helped us raise this amazing amount of money. We would also like to say a big thank you to all the companies who gave so generously to make the raffle and auction such a success.”
If you would like to find out about fundraising for Phyllis Tuckwell, or read more about the care it offers to local patients and their families, visit www.pth.org.uk, email [email protected] or call 01252 729446.