When Douglas, a retired nurse, was asked 27 years ago to take part in the weekly lottery run by his local hospice, he didn’t hesitate. With firsthand experience of the critical importance of hospice care, he has witnessed its profound impact on patients and families. He recognises how hospice charities like ellenor can truly transform end of life care.

All these years later, and one big win under his belt, Douglas is still supporting ellenor and is an advocate for everything it achieves at the hospice in Northfleet and out in the wider community of North Kent and Bexley.

He said: “I don’t suppose there are many people who have been doing the hospice lottery as long as I have. When it first started, it was the Lions Hospice, and someone would come round every week to my door collecting my pound.”

Eventually the lottery, which now costs £2 a week, went online, making it much easier for players and for ellenor fundraisers. In the financial year 2020 – 2021, a staggering £343,317 was raised thanks to Lottery and Grand Draw players. 

Douglas, 67, has always been happy to help fundraise for a cause close to his heart, especially as the ellenor Hospice is right on his doorstep. He was even lucky enough to win the £1,000 jackpot in 2012, granting him the opportunity to fulfil a lifelong dream to travel to India.

He said: “A friend of mine went there every year and I had always wanted to go with him. My wife said I should use my lottery winnings and go along. We had three weeks there – it was a life experience. We went to Goa and travelled into Colva, which really was a one chicken town.

“We went to a spice farm, and I even got to ride an elephant, which was fantastic. The trip ticked lots of boxes and I really filled my boots. I kept a diary, which I wrote in every day.”

Douglas, who is one of six children and grew up in St Paul’s Cray, completed his SEN nursing training 30 years ago and became a Registered Nurse in the 1990s. He is married to health visitor Elaine, who he met at a Valentine’s disco 45 years ago at the social club at Queen Mary’s Hospital, Sidcup.

His first post was working in Accident and Emergency at Queen Mary’s, then he went on to become a community nurse. From there, it was a natural progression for Douglas to become a Marie Curie nurse, helping cancer patients and their families. This was when he first came into direct contact with the hospice in Northfleet.

He said: “One of the nurses I worked with developed cancer and became a patient there and we all went along to cheer her up. Sadly, she died after a few weeks there, but I was so impressed with the hospice and the staff. What I saw was a nicer kind of nursing.”

ellenor’s approach to palliative care is something Douglas can relate to, especially after his years of working as a Marie Curie nurse.

He said: “ellenor has really blossomed over the years into something magnificent. It’s a place for living that moment of your life; it’s not about dying. Some people go into the hospice to give carers respite and they come out again feeling perkier – it’s just being able to talk to different people and it can be nice to stay in a different place. For instance, sometimes patients just like to talk about football!”

Douglas admits his job as a nurse was sometimes tough, especially with fellow male nurses so thin on the ground, but moments of appreciation from patients and their friends and family made it worthwhile.

He said: “All through my nursing career I have treated people as I would want to be treated. When I am looking after an elderly person, I always think they are someone’s mother or grandfather, and those family members would want me to do the best I could and not cut corners.”

In 2000, Douglas started working as a Senior Nurse Advisor for NHS Direct, now known as 111, but last year something happened that really shook him up. A severe headache landed him in A&E, where three meningeal tumours between his skull and brain were diagnosed. Luckily doctors felt he had probably had them for some time and that they would not necessarily impact his life.

He said: “It gave me lots of time to think. Life is short and if you are not careful, it slips away unnoticed. It was a wake-up call, reminding me that time waits for no one. You blink, and suddenly you’re too old or it’s too late.”

Douglas decided it was time to retire, to cherish time with his family including his two grown-up sons Michael and Thomas and indulge in long neglected hobbies.

Yet, amidst his retirement plans, his commitment to supporting ellenor’s lottery remains.

“Whether I win or not, it’s an investment in our community’s lifeline. Just £2 per week, for ellenor, a vital haven in the face of life limiting illnesses that affect so many. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to ensure hospices like ellenor thrive.”

If you would like to play ellenor’s weekly lottery, visit the website at About The ellenor Lottery | ellenor. For £2 per play, you could win one of 53 weekly prizes including the rollover of up to £10,000!