- You could be a group of 2 people - or 20.
- You could be from the same town or village, workplace, school, church, or simply a group of friends.
- You could meet occasionally, or regularly.
- You could host your own fundraising events, from a pub quiz to an afternoon tea.
- You could represent the hospice at other people’s events, like community galas.
We can provide lots of support, from getting that first meeting set up to giving you ideas for fundraising and even supplying posters, tickets, sponsor forms and much more!
Here are some of our existing support groups to inspire you.
Grown out of the original Pontefract, Castleford and Featherstone support groups, a dedicated team of volunteers meet monthly at the hospice to plan their fundraising. Their stalls at summer galas, bag-packing in supermarkets, craft fairs, tombolas and raffles raise £1000s for the hospice each year.
Phyl Hague chairs the group’s meetings and says “Many of us didn’t know each other before joining this group, but we’re a lively bunch and love having new members! Some people only help a couple of times a year, others find time each month to help man a stall, plan an event, make crafts, bake cakes or put-up posters.
Being a member of a support group can involve whatever you want it to. What a marvellous way to volunteer!”
The Ackworth ladies are busy people, but find time each year to host two very successful coffee mornings, where they sell crafts they have made, including collectable knitted Easter Egg characters!
Mollie Gardener, who joined Ackworth support group in 1991, says, “The reward is the fact that you are doing a good deed – you get a good feeling.”
The Peer Educators, a group of pupils from Knottingley High School have recently set up a hospice support group called POWS. The whole school got involved with a fundraising summer fair at the end of term.
Next they’re producing a large, interactive coin-collector which will be made by the school’s Design and Technology department and filled with the proceeds of their fundraising events.
If you are interested in joining or forming a support group, please call Becky in the fundraising team on 0844 248 4786 or click
here to send her an email.