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Supper night raises thousands for Willow Burn Hospice

Press Release

Monday 10 October 2011

Supper night raises thousands for Willow Burn Hospice

AN EVENING of supper, music and pampering has raised almost £3,500 for Willow Burn Hospice in Derwentside.

The sell-out ticket-only event saw 80 people enjoying a three-course meal, wines to suit every palate and entertainment by Martin Matthew’s Steel String Band. Diners were also able to browse a new range of Uplifting and Indulgent spa and skincare products as well as taking part in a quiz and raffle to help Willow Burn Hospice reach its target to build its new hospice.

The supper night is a new addition to the many ways Willow Burn Hospice works with its supporters and partners throughout Derwentside and the wider County Durham area to raise money to allow the charity to continue providing its services free of charge – and raising money to build the new fit-for-purpose hospice development.

Willow Burn Hospice was opened in 1989 and provides vital in-patient and community services from its base in the grounds of the former Maiden Law Hospital in Lanchester. The hospice occupies former hospital buildings and temporary offices while it raises the £5.7 million need to build the new hospice.

The design of the new hospice takes on the appearance of barns, reflecting the rural nature of North West Durham, with the buildings appear to emerge from the landscape while maximising the uninterrupted views from the south of the site. The new hospice will see the number of in-patient beds increase from four to six, and include additional well-being facilities, such as a sun room, health spa, dance studio and therapy suite created.

Helen Mills, Chief Executive of Willow Burn Hospice explained: “Our philosophy is to improve the quality of life for adults who have a life-limiting illness by providing care, comfort and compassion and our new hospice will enable us to continue doing that while improving the environment and experiences of people who come to Willow Burn Hospice.

"We are committed to reaching out to the community as much as possible and that’s why we’ve made the deliberate decision to open our new spa facility to the community. Spa Range is a natural extension of how we are already doing that and the supper night was a little taster of what people can expect when our spa opens.

“The range also means we can give people a taster of what to expect when we open our spa in our new hospice development – a resource which will be available not only to people who come to Willow Burn Hospice but also the wider Derwentside community.”

Finbarr’s Restaurant in Durham hosted the supper night with locally sourced ingredients and innovative dishes, with entertainment provided by Martin Matthew’s Steel String Band’s mix of jazz, ceilidh and Celtic music and song. The event was supported by a number of friends of Willow Burn Hospice, including Lanchester Wine Club, Durham Bridge Club, past and present staff from St Bede’s Catholic Comprehensive School in Lanchester, staff from St Robert of Newminster Comprehensive School in Washington.

The event, which was match-funded by the Stanley branch of Barclays bank, was also attended by Willow Burn Hospice volunteers, nursing, administrative and management staff, and Derwentside business men and women who are involved with the charity.

Margaret McCabe, who sits on the hospice’s Capital Fundraising Campaign Board, added: “We are grateful to Finbarr’s for their support; the food was fantastic, the service was faultless and the atmosphere was amazing. We couldn’t have had as great a night as we did without their generosity.

“Thanks must also go to Helen Ward and Susan Brydon from Barclays at Stanley for their support – and of course their work on the night to run the raffle as part of their match-funding commitment, and to the Steel String Band.

“It’s support like this that makes the work at Willow Burn Hospice possible and we are thrilled with the money raised. Every penny really does make a difference.”

For more information about how you could support Willow Burn Hospice visit www.willow-burn.co.uk or visit the charity’s high street stores at Stanley and Consett.