The festive season is always a special time at The Prince of Wales Hospice, and this year it’s been made even more meaningful thanks to the incredible generosity of our local community.
Thanks to everyone who took part in festive fundraising events throughout December and into January, we raised £85,154 to support patients and families across the Five Towns. This amazing total will help fund around 11 days of care on our 14‑bed ward, ensuring people receive comfort, dignity and specialist support when they need it most.
From school playgrounds filled with festive cheer to moments of quiet reflection remembering loved ones, every donation and every act of kindness has made a real difference.
Festive fundraising highlights:
Light up a Life
Our much‑loved Light up a Life appeal once again gave people the opportunity to remember someone special during the festive period. This year, our main remembrance event took place at a new venue, Pontefract Racecourse, which offered a peaceful and welcoming space for reflection. Thanks to the kindness of everyone who took part, the appeal raised an incredible £19,700, helping us continue to support families when they need us most.
Caring Christmas Appeal and Christmas Raffle
Through our Caring Christmas Appeal and Christmas Raffle, supporters helped us create a warm and thoughtful environment for patients, carers and families spending precious time together, including those facing their last Christmas with a loved one. Thousands of raffle tickets were sold, adding an extra touch of festive excitement, and together these two campaigns raised £15,095 to support patient care.
Reindeer Run
One of the highlights of the season was our Reindeer Run, with 40 local schools getting involved. Playgrounds were filled with children running, dancing and prancing in festive antlers, all while raising vital funds for the Hospice. So far, these joyful events have raised £42,456, and we’re so grateful to every pupil, teacher and family who took part.
Christmas Tree Collection
In January, our fantastic volunteers collected more than 620 real Christmas trees as part of our annual Christmas Tree Collection. This popular scheme raised £8,900 for patient care, with 10% of the total shared between two local charities, Castleford Tigers Foundation and Smiles for Miles.
Every donation we receive helps someone in our community. From lighting up memories to running in reindeer antlers, the kindness shown this festive season has been truly heart‑warming. Every gift, no matter how big or small, helps us provide life‑changing care and support to local families.
We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who supported us. Thank you for making such a difference.
If you’d like to find out more about supporting our Hospice throughout the year, please visit www.pwh.org.uk/supportus.
