Pendleside Hospice hosting special fundraising events to celebrate 35th anniversary

The 12-month programme will be themed on Memories, Thank-yous and Sustainability to mark the hospice’s “birthday” on Thursday, October 5th.

The charity is also calling on people to stage their own fundraisers like tea parties in the anniversary week.

Highlights include Lanterns On The Lake in June, a 35-mile Pendleside trek in the summer, and a Pendleside Strictly Come Dancing in November.

Louisa Mayor, head of income generation, said: “For the Memories theme we are urging present and former staff, volunteers and patients’ families, or anyone who has been connected with the hospice over the years, to let us know of anecdotes and photographs relating to the hospice they would care to share.

“We are creating a special email address for people to send them to. As they are received we will publish them on social media and may put some on show at the different events we are staging.”

The Lanterns On The Lake, being organised in association with Burnley Leisure and Culture, will feature a sponsored walk from the hospice to Thompson Park where lanterns, paid for in memory of a loved one who has passed away in the last 35 years, will be floated on the lake.

The Thank-yous theme will retrace the journey that Pendleside has made with the support of the community.

Louisa said: “We will be giving special thanks to people who have given long service as either staff, volunteers or fundraisers. We will be featuring people who have contributed hundreds of hours of their time including volunteers, ambassadors and trustees.

“These people will include the hundreds who have offered their time free of charge to staff our nine charity shops, the many drivers who have relayed patients to and from the hospice, have delivered meals on wheels, and have distributed goods from collection centre to the shops.”

The Sustainability theme will look at how Pendleside is to develop over the next 35 years, with emphasis on combating the energy and cost-of-living crises.

An entertaining highlight of the year will be the Pendleside Strictly Come Dancing ball. Sanderson Dance School, Nelson, will train up 10 guests who must all pledge at least £2,000 to compete in a showdown at Life Church, Burnley.