Lottery winner takes mum on well-earned holiday

When her dad received end of life care from ellenor’s hospice at home team Lynne Sampson realised just how vital the charity is: for patients, their families and the whole community. That is why when she won £1000 on the charity’s lottery this summer, she immediately donated some of it back to support ellenor’s essential work. The rest was spent on taking her mum, who is recovering from cancer, on a well-deserved family holiday to The Lake District.

Lynne said: “I couldn’t believe it when ellenor called to say I had won. We took mum on a great holiday and were able to stay in a wonderful place in Grasmere. She had cancer last year, so it was a lovely thing to do.”

“Over the years we have lost friends and family who were helped by ellenor with my dad receiving care at home when he was dying from lung cancer. The ellenor nurses who came to the house were so professional and we learned a lot from them.”

“We were really impressed and grateful. When we said to the nurses that it was dad’s wish to stay at home, they said they would make sure this happened. We didn’t know that sort of service existed before and so it was relief that we were able to honour his wish.”

After doing ellenor’s weekly lottery for about five years, Lynne sees it as a way that people can remotely support their local charity, or a charity that has helped someone they loved.

The online game provides an important income for ellenor, which relies heavily on donations and fundraising by local businesses and the community.

Lynne said: “Some people might understandably be apprehensive about coming into close contact with the place where they may have lost someone. However, the lottery is a way to help Ellenor’s remarkable work without a huge commitment – and there’s a chance of an unexpected windfall!”

Lynne’s support for ellenor began in 2017, when the family held a collection at her mum Barbara’s 80^th birthday. They were also able to donate £1500 to the charity following her father Tony’s funeral the following year, and more recently made a donation following the death of another family member, who received care at home from ellenor.

Lynne, who lives in Bexley, said: “When I took in the money from dad’s funeral, it was really comforting to talk to the people there and hear their own stories.”

She said: “Many of us have now experienced loss, and benefitted from ellenor’s help and support, so the walk is something that will bring us all together and enable us to grieve and say thank you.”

Lynne admits her 85-year-old mum might not make the whole route though!

She said: “Mum lives in the Dartford area and is often picking up bargains in the hospice shop there. She still chairs Barnehurst Active Retirement Association and is working as a practice manager for a complementary health centre in Sidcup.”

Sharing her mum’s work ethic, Lynne has an important career role herself, as lead for a multi academy trust, overseeing nine schools in Croydon.

She said: “Some of the schools are in areas of deprivation and are reliant on any money that can be raised, so I understand how important fundraising is.”

“I also understand now just how much the hospice does, offering services like counselling. I know from my own experience working with staff at the schools and the children, how difficult it can be to access services like this.”

Looking to the future, Lynne is hoping to find some positive outlets in her retirement, hopefully putting even more of her energy into fundraising for ellenor and raising awareness of its many services at the Northfleet hospice and within the community.

She is pleased to hear that the hospice building is undergoing a huge revamp, with a brand new wellbeing centre being built.

She said: “It is good to know that ellenor has a holistic approach, and the wellbeing centre will provide an important place for people to receive therapies, to chat and share experiences and to talk about any fears. It will help to dispel some of the myths that a hospice is somewhere where people just go when they are dying. It’s all about patients and their families living the best life they can.”