Ex-mayor and mayoress of South Ribble visit hospice after fundraising year

Coun John Rainsbury and his wife Shirley visited the Lostock Hall hospice to make a generous donation raised during their time as mayor and mayoress of the borough throughout 2018 and 2019.

St Catherine’s Yellow Day and Christmas Festival were among the highlights of the year for the couple.

Coun John Rainsbury said: “Visiting the St Catherine’s Hospice and attending these much-loved fund-raising events really helped us to appreciate how much the charity means to people, and how much St Catherine’s depends on the support of the local community and more than 900 volunteers. It really brought home to us the value and importance of volunteering.”

The pair have made memories to last a lifetime and have met some truly inspirational people.

Coun Rainsbury said: “We’ve fund-raised in a range of ways, including organising a day at Catterick Racecourse, canal barge trips, a brass band and hotpot supper event as well as the Ladies’ of Achievement Lunch, and events with Cumin Curry House and the Village Tea Pot. It’s been a very busy and enjoyable experience.”

Emma Jacovelli, head of community engagement at St Catherine’s Hospice, said: “We’ve loved welcoming John and Shirley to the hospice to meet with patients and families, and to attend our fun-filled events such as Yellow Day and the Christmas Festival.

“We simply wouldn’t be able to continue helping local families if it wasn’t for the wonderful support of our local communities and volunteers, so we’d like to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to John and Shirley for their fantastic fund-raising efforts and for visiting the hospice throughout their mayoral year.”