Harrogate trio thank hospice with host of fundraising events

Zoe Hanson, Laura Thwaite, and Fiona Hurst have all been affected by cancer in their lives, and Fiona managed to fight off follicular lymphoma.

Because of this they have all had need of the help and support offered by Saint Michael’s Hospice - a Harrogate charity with a mission to improve the lives of people living with terminal illness, as well as their families and carers.

Laura said: “We wanted to give something back to Saint Michael’s after all the hard work the staff do for their patients and their families.

“Cancer affects a lot of people and sadly sometimes the outcome isn’t good, but the staff at Saint Michael’s help to make their patients’ time as pleasant as it can possibly be.”

To say thank you, the trio organised a skydive, falling 120mph from 15,000ft in the air and coming to ground with a parachute.

They then organised a fun day at The Stone Beck pub in Harrogate.

Casino Castles donated a bouncy castle for the day, band Selby Green played for free, and Noah’s Ark brought animals over for an hour without charge.

There was also face-painting, a tombola, a barbecue, and a loom band stall for the children.

Laura said: “This was a huge success and we couldn’t have done it without the pub’s support. It was an amazing day and a brilliant turn out and we raised £1,205 from that day alone.

“The Stone Beck is a family-friendly pub and this day really brought the community together, so we would like to thank everyone who helped and who came and donated.

“Saint Michael’s were very impressed without the total raised, which was £2,580.”