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Theme: Fundraising

Firewalk is a blazing success raising over £10,000

December 5, 2023 | 5:13pm

35 people took part in our Firewalk at the start of November, all raising money for St Ann’s which amounted to over £10,000. 

Rebecca took part in the Firewalk and says: “It was such an honour to take part in the sponsored firewalk challenge. Such an amazing experience with amazing people. The atmosphere was electric and all for an extremely great cause.  


Every step I took across those hot coals was a testament to the strength and resilience of those facing difficult times who are being cared for by St Ann’s Hospice.


Rebecca, Firewalk Participant

Everyone who took part was in the safe hands of Karen, Blaze ‘Fire Master’ instructor, who took the group through a motivational Fear Buster session prior to the Firewalk, helping everyone taking part to leap into this challenge feet first. 

All those signed up to the event took on the challenge, with lots of ‘mind over matter’ exercises that helped the group to prepare. 

Sarah Wolstenholme, Events Fundraiser at St Ann’s Hospice, says: “I was so nervous beforehand thinking I was going to burn my feet or cry due to being terrified! 

“The thrill of completing it was incredible and a little overwhelming as it was such a strange thing to get my head round – I walked on burning embers! I felt like I could accomplish anything after that. 

“Karen from Blaze has been doing the firewalking experience for people for 30 years and was superb from start to finish at getting everyone hyped up for the challenge.” 

Our staff raise £8,564 hiking the Camino de Santiago trek together

December 5, 2023 | 4:19pm

The pair had originally planned to take on Kilimanjaro, but this was in 2019 just before the pandemic, so even though they had done all their fundraising, the trip was cancelled.

At this time they were doing the challenge with a group, but after the pandemic just the two of them were left so decided to take on the Camino instead.

The Camino is a historic pilgrimage route in Spain, covering the final 67km of the famous Camino Frances – the French Way.

Lisa, Donna and the previous Events Fundraiser Sam O’Reilly raised a combined total of £8,564 for St Ann’s Hospice.


It was a great challenge to be part of a very, very hot but a great experience. We are proud to do it for St Ann’s Hospice and would highly recommend it to anyone who wanted to give it a go.


Lisa Corbett, The Patient and Family Team

“We enjoyed seeing so many people on the trek, but it never felt overcrowded or too busy which was nice. We both like walking so it seemed like a great challenge to take on, with lots of comradery on the route too.”

Donna says: “During the time we fundraised we both gained a new understanding for just how much dedication is given from the fundraising team every single day to raise money, it takes so much effort, especially when times are hard.

“Wherever we were fundraising, either at fairs, packing bags in supermarkets or doing raffles, so many people recognised St Ann’s Hospice and had such lovely comments about it.

“We are both so proud to have raised money for our hospice, and it was great to hear so many other people taking on The Camino for hospices near them too.”

Together give £50,000 in latest donation to Build it Together appeal

November 7, 2023 | 12:01pm

Together have sponsored three rooms within the new building totalling £105,000, with the company donating even more money to the charity.

Cheadle-based Together has offered specialist personal and business loans for 50 years. This is the third donation that we have received from the company, which has previously sponsored a counselling room and a family breakout room for the new hospice building through their staff’s fundraising efforts.

With this new donation of £50,000, we will also be building a family overnight room in our new hospice site in Heald Green.

Emma Dixon, Director of Clinical Services at St Ann’s Hospice, says: “I want to thank Together for the incredible amount of money they have raised to go to our new hospice.

“The difference these rooms will make to our patients, our families and our staff here at the hospice is indescribable.

“The counselling room will allow for a comfortable room for patients, families and those that need our support, to meet their counsellors and to receive one-to-one support in a comfortable and safe environment.

“The family breakout area is much-needed for our hospice. Our current build has no private areas for families, meaning families are often crowded together in a bay with other patients and families, or put into a side room where there is no space at all.

“This breakout area will allow patients and families to celebrate being with each other to spend valuable time together and do normal fun activities that families would do if they were at home.


The overnight room, which is Together’s third donation, will be incredible for the new building. For many patients an overnight stay with their families is really needed to allow them to spend time together as a family and spend time with their loved ones at what is quite often one of the hardest times they will experience.
Patients will now be able to stay in a comfortable and safe environment, either with family members staying with them or just down the corridor from them. The difference this room will make will be unbelievable so thank you Together Money for this incredible donation.


Emma Dixon, Director of Clinical Services

The Build it Together campaign, which launched in June 2022, has already raised more than £800,000 and we’re urging people across Greater Manchester to get involved.

Sarah Nield, Group Chief Compliance Officer at Together, said: “St Ann’s Hospice provides exceptional support to patients and their loved ones who are going through the hardest of times, and we are proud to play our part in supporting them in the creation of this new overnight room.

“Supporting a local charity is very important to us and we’re so glad to provide St Ann’s with the much-needed funds to build the counselling room, the breakout area and now the overnight room.”

The long-term project at St Ann’s Hospice will transform the end-of-life care experience for future generations of patients. To find out more information on how you can help with our Build It Together appeal, see here.

Striking a pose for the new hospice

November 3, 2023 | 1:10pm

St Ann’s Hospice are delighted to announce that £3660 was raised from our night of fashion and fun at John Lewis Cheadle.

The catwalk show featured doctors, nurses, volunteers and other members of the St Ann’s team modelling festive fashions from across John Lewis’s women’s, men’s and children’s wear ranges.

Funds raised at the event will be going towards our Build it Together campaign, which is raising the final £2 million that we need to build a much-needed new hospice in Heald Green, Stockport.

Lesley Jackson, Outpatient Clinical Services Secretary, took part as a model for the Fashion Show.


I’ve worked for 20 years at the Heald Green site, so I see every day how our current building is deteriorating and how essential it is that we get a new hospice built for our local communities. I jumped at the chance to model at the John Lewis Fashion Show – what a treat to do something different, raise vital funds and get my hair and make up done!


Lesley Jackson, Outpatient Clinical Services Secretary

The models were glammed up on the night by John Lewis’s premium makeup concessions in store, before having a drinks reception and getting dressed in their outfits for the two shows – Autumn/Winter Fashion and Party Wear.

Attendees enjoyed entertainment from the Crystal Chords Barbershop Chorus during a drinks reception and the interval, as well as hand massages provided by the St Ann’s Complementary Therapy Team and Clarins.


We’re so grateful to John Lewis Cheadle for supporting us to raise funds for our much-needed new building. We’d also like to thank our St Ann’s colleagues, Celine and Beverly at Glossy, Crystal Chords, and everyone who came to the event for their help and support in ensuring we will be here providing specialist support and care for generations. What an amazing show!


Anne-Marie Wynne, Head of Fundraising and Capital Campaign

The Build It Together campaign, which launched in June 2022, has already raised more than £800,000 and we’re urging people across Greater Manchester to get involved. To find more information on how you can help, see here.

Frogtastic Inventions: Stockport’s frog auction raising money for St Ann’s Hospice with Colin da Frog!

November 1, 2023 | 4:27pm

You could be the lucky winner of Colin da Frog and raise money for St Ann’s Hospice at the same time!

In 2021, St Ann’s Hospice had the honour of working with the fantastic team from Totally Stockport as part of the 2021 Gigantic Leap Art Trail.

St Ann’s Hospice was the beneficiary of the trail which raised over £38,000 as a result of the frog’s auction and a host of other contributions from frog-related fundraising activities in schools and businesses in Stockport.

This year, the auction proceeds of each frog who was part of this summer’s Frogtastic Inventions Trail has been assigned to a different charity, helping even more communities benefit from this summer’s frog art trail.


We are delighted to benefit once again from Totally Stockport’s generosity, with our assigned frog “Colin Da Frog”. All proceeds from the sale will go towards our hospice to help fund the services we provide for our community.


Marie Foster, Innovation & Digital Fundraiser

“Colin Da Frog”, designed by Claire Byrom, represents the invention of the calendar, with great detail that embraces the Mayan/Aztec and Mesoamerican cultures.

The design is based on the Aztec Sun Stone, also known as the Calendar Stone, a round stone slab that measures about 12 feet in diameter and weighs over 24 tons.

Each frog this year is perched on its cog, and will be kept safe for the lucky bidders who will have the chance to own a piece of Stockport’s history and a unique piece of art.

Other local charities that are benefiting from the proceeds of the auction include Stockport MIND, Stockport Community County Trust and Stockport Without Abuse.

For more information on how you can bid for Colin da Frog and donate to St Ann’s Hospice, please see the link here.

Help pedal St Ann’s Hospice to the finish line by taking on the Tour de Manc 2024

November 1, 2023 | 3:28pm

St Ann’s Hospice are calling for people to sign up to next year’s event to secure their place for the biggest Tour de Manc yet and help fund the new hospice building that is so desperately needed.

The total raised from the event this year was made up of a kind donation from Tour de Manc to the hospice, and from the dedicated riders that donated through their sponsorships.

Nearly 1700 riders took part in this year’s Tour de Manc, with St Ann’s Hospice proud to have over 45 riders take on the challenging routes to raise money for their Build It Together campaign.

The campaign is raising the final £2 million that the charity needs to build a much-needed new hospice in Heald Green, Stockport. This will replace their current Victorian building which is in urgent need of replacement as there are continual and costly repairs. The current building is no longer fit for purpose and presents a real risk to the future of St Ann’s Hospice.

The charity are aiming for next year’s Tour de Manc on the 5th May to be even bigger and are encouraging riders to sign up to take on the challenge for St Ann’s.

Registration for Tour de Manc 2024 is now open, with an early bird offer running until the end of the month with an additional £5 off Tour De Manc prices when you sign up via St Ann’s Hospice.

There are four routes that riders can take on, which will be new and improved for next year’s event. These include The Mad Manc (205km), the Classic Manc (175km), The Manc Challenge (120km) and The Northern Quarter (52km).

Team St Ann’s will be bringing the party on the day with supporters cheering on at the start and finish line. There will also be a team from St Ann’s supplying well-earned refreshments at the Bolton feed station again, which the Classic Manc and Mad Manc ride past.


We can’t thank Tour de Manc enough for having us as one of their headline charities, we are so glad we get to celebrate this year’s Tour de Manc with them as the biggest event yet. We are so excited for Tour de Manc 2024 as this will be even bigger and better! By taking part and raising money for our hospice you could help get us over the line with the money we need to build our new hospice in Heald Green.


Liz Greenwood, Capital Partnerships Fundraiser for St Ann’s


I thoroughly enjoy speaking to the riders who finish and give them their medals – it really is a joy. Although, I don’t think the best part is on the day; for me that’s handing over the money to the charities we have supported, knowing it will be put towards vital projects that will support those in need.


Tony Rubins, Co-Founder and Co-Organiser of Tour de Manc

If you’d like to claim your early bird offer and cycle for St Ann’s Hospice in next year’s Tour de Manc visit https://www.sah.org.uk/TDM or contact the fundraising team on events@sah.org.uk.

Are you rooting for the reds or blues to win the Manchester Donation Derby?

October 27, 2023 | 6:02pm

This Sunday we’re hosting our second Manchester Donation Derby as Manchester United and Manchester City go head to head in the Premier League.

We are asking all City and United fans to donate the price of a match day pint to your team’s page in aid of our Build It Together campaign, which will build our new much-needed hospice in Heald Green.

The first Donation Derby we hosted was in June for the FA Cup Final, when over £1,000 was raised by our amazing supporters. The blues won 2-1 against the reds in the final, but United came out on top in our Donation Derby. Can they hold on to their lead?


After the success of our last Manchester Donation Derby we’re excited to host another one! The match is sure to get everyone on the edge of their seats, so it’s a great time to get involved in raising money for our new hospice and to get your favourite team to win.


Anne-Marie Wynne, Head of Fundraising and Capital Appeal, St Ann’s Hospice

If you’re a fan of neither team in the final but still want to take part in the Donation Derby and help to build the new hospice, you can! You can give to the overall campaign, instead of the team pages for City and United.

The Donation Derby can be found at:

At the time of writing, City are in the lead. Will they see it through? May the best team win!

Fundraising football tournament in loving memory of Amanda Duckworth

October 26, 2023 | 10:47am

Amanda Duckworth was a patient at our Little Hulton hospice earlier this year, and sadly died this spring.

Amanda’s partner, Adele Turner, and her employer, Luxury Leisure, wanted to do something special to remember Amanda. They also wanted to raise vital funds for St Ann’s after the care she had received during her time spent at the hospice.

Amanda loved football and played an instrumental part in organising the company’s annual football tournament. 

The team at Luxury Leisure decided to host the next company football tournament in loving memory of Amanda, renaming it in her honour and raising funds for St Ann’s at the same time.


Amanda loved all sport but especially football, and would always insist that we watched almost any game and sometimes even dragged me along to matches! Amanda and Adam set this tournament up together a few years ago and she would be so happy to know this year it was bigger than ever after being renamed in her honour, as she was all about football.


Adele Turner, Amanda’s Partner


We wanted to do something special for Amanda who was really close to all of our hearts. Amanda was a big part in the organising of our company’s annual football tournament and that felt like a fitting platform to raise vital funds for the charity that provided Amanda’s end-of-life care. We will definitely continue to raise funds for St Ann’s Hospice so that we can help them to continue providing excellent care for those who need it.


Adam Gill, Area Manager at Luxury Leisure

The football tournament took place on Sunday 3rd September and raised an incredible £5,000 for St Ann’s!

We welcomed Adam and Adele to our Little Hulton hospice for a cheque presentation in October. This fantastic donation will go towards providing quality care for our patients and their loved ones. We are so grateful for their support and generosity.