Festive Market Gives Christmas Gift to Local Hospice Care Charity

Local Hospice Care charity Phyllis Tuckwell has been presented with a cheque for £6,000, which was raised at the St Thomas on the Bourne Christmas market, in Farnham.

Caption: The organisers of St Thomas on the Bourne’s Christmas market present a cheque for £6,000 to Samantha West, lead community fundraiser at Phyllis Tuckwell. 

The market, which used to be an annual event in the church’s calendar, hadn’t taken place for five years, but was back with festive cheer this year! Held on 30^th November, it saw around 400 people come along to browse stalls packed with homemade crafts, Christmas decorations, gifts, toys, games, bric-a-brac, cakes, jams, chutneys and preserves. There was also a tombola, a raffle and a silent auction, and storytelling and other activities for children. The market was opened by Greg Stafford MP, and the Mayor of Farnham, Councillor Brodie Mauluka, also attended.

“We were so pleased to see St Thomas on the Bourne’s wonderful Christmas market return this year and are very grateful to the organisers for choosing to support local Hospice Care,” said Samantha West, lead community fundraiser at Phyllis Tuckwell.

Phyllis Tuckwell provides palliative and end of life care local patients and families living with an advanced or terminal illness, such as cancer. £6,000 could cover the cost of nearly seven weeks’ care from one of its In-Patient Unit (IPU) nurses. These specialist nurses offer 24-hour care to patients who are receiving symptom management or end of life care on its IPU, with each nurse looking after up to five patients. As the NHS/Government only cover 25% of Phyllis Tuckwell’s costs, it has to raise over £25,000 every day to be able to offer all of its services, which are given free of charge to its patients and their families and carers, and relies heavily on the support and generosity of the local community to do this.