Theme: Fundraising

A piano concert in memory of Suzanne Karn who was cared for by St Ann’s Hospice has raised over £600.

Suzanne passed away in September from cancer at the age of 43, she was cared for in Little Hulton during her final weeks.

The concert, which featured a range of classical, jazz and popular piano music, was organised by Suzanne’s brother Jim Pendrill and was held at Cheadle Hulme School.

Together with Philip Underwood, Jim played a number of piano duets for two pianos, while they also both played individual pieces by composers including Bach, Chopin and Einaudi.

They were also joined on stage by Suzanne’s nephew and Royal Northern College of Music student Sam Pendrill who performed songs by Keane and Oasis.

St Ann’s ambassador and previously a doctor at the Hospice, Barbara Murray spoke at the event about the fundraising campaign for the St Ann’s New Hospice Appeal.

Jim said the turnout on the day was fantastic. 

“We were overwhelmed by the generosity of those who attended, helping us to raise this amazing amount. After Suzanne passed away our family wanted to give something back to St Ann’s for the wonderful care she received at Little Hulton, and Philip and I came up with the idea of performing the concert.  

“It was a very emotional but special day for Suzanne’s family. As well as those who attended on the day, I would also like to say a huge thank you to Cheadle Hulme School for their support in putting on the concert, and to Barbara for her very kind words on the day too.” 

Why not take on one of five major challenges for your New Year’s resolution on behalf of St Ann’s Hospice?

We here in the St Ann’s Fundraising Team are gearing up for five major challenges taking place over the course of 2025 where we are either running the event ourselves or are an official charity partner. These challenges are: the Tour de Manc in May, the Great Manchester Run in May, the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge in June, the Manchester Half Marathon in October and overseas treks in autumn.

Starting with the Tour de Manc, we are delighted once again to be one of their chosen charity partners, offering discounted charity places.

Take in the sights of Greater Manchester and enjoy the fantastic, welcoming atmosphere at this proper Manc cycling sportive, all while fundraising to make the new hospice a reality for our patients.

There are four distances and routes to choose from, to suit riders of all abilities: the Northern Quarter – 60km/37 miles, the Manc Challenge – 100km/62 miles, the Classic Manc – 165km/103 miles, and the Mad Manc – 201km/125 miles.

Those taking part can ride on behalf of St Ann’s while also raising money through sponsorship. You can find out more at www.sah.org.uk/TDM.

Take advantage of a free place to join #TeamStAnns in the 22nd year of the iconic Great Manchester Run on Sunday, May 18, 2025! The epic 10km or half marathon challenge is a highlight of our events calendar each year and an amazing way to support St Ann’s. Anyone is welcome to come and join #TeamStAnns and take on the 10km or half marathon. For more information and to sign up, head to www.sah.org.uk/GMR.

Join us for the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge on Saturday, June 7, 2025, and help raise vital funds for St Ann’s Hospice! Whether you’re an experienced hiker or exploring a new challenge, this is your chance to make a real difference by joining a professionally guided tour.

Picture yourself trekking through the stunning Yorkshire Dales, conquering the peaks of Pen-y-ghent (684m), Whernside (736m), and Ingleborough (723m), all while proudly wearing your #TeamStAnns gear.

It’s called a challenge for a reason – but with the right training, you’ll smash it! For more information, head to www.sah.org.uk/yorkshirethreepeaks.

The largest half marathon in the North West takes place on Sunday, October 12, 2025. The Manchester Half is a 13.1 mile challenge that takes place every October, starting and finishing by Old Trafford. Imagine the thrill of running through the streets of Manchester, cheered on by thousands, while wearing your #TeamStAnns vest with pride. Take advantage of a £15 discounted charity place, and head to www.sah.org.uk/mcrhalf for more information.

Lastly, why not take on an epic overseas trek in autumn 2025 in one of three stunning locations around the globe in aid of our Build it Together new hospice appeal? Have you got what it takes to trek for St Ann’s? The three treks to choose from include the Great Wall of China Trek, the Sahara Trek, and the Camino de Santiago Trek in Spain. Raise vital funds for St Ann’s through sponsorship. For more information visit, www.sah.org.uk/trek.

As Christmas is now over and the New Year is in full swing, the staff and volunteers at St Ann’s are preparing to collect Christmas trees from residences across Greater Manchester to raise vital funds for the Hospice.

St Ann’s Hospice will be once again working with national charity Just Helping to collect and recycle the Christmas Trees.

Residents can register to have their real tree collected now for a donation. In exchange St Ann’s will take it away and recycle it for you. No hassle, no waste, no needles in your car!

All trees are collected by a team of volunteers, then chipped and used for pathways and forest management at Wythenshawe Park.

The January 2024 collection recycled 5,200 trees and raised an incredible £65,187 for the Greater Manchester hospice, and they hope to raise over £75,000 in January 2025!

Alex Bryer, Operations Manager at Just Helping, says: “We were thrilled at the success of the annual tree-cycling event, and we are so grateful to every single person who registered and made a donation to have their tree collected and recycled by the team of local volunteers.

Lucy Green, Fundraising Manager at St Ann’s Hospice, said: “Over the last nine years, Just Helping has raised more than £309,000 for St Ann’s. We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing support, and we cannot wait to roll out this year’s Christmas tree collection campaign.”

The collection to recycle real Christmas Trees raises funds for St Ann’s Hospice, Francis House Children’s Hospice and other local charities in the community.

You can register for your Christmas tree collection on the Just Helping website, www.just-helping.org.uk/register-tree.

As Christmas Day nears, a residential Stockport street is shining bright with festive lights in aid of St Ann’s Hospice.

Supporter and resident of Warwick Drive Tim Lyons creates the winter wonderland down Warwick Drive every year and are now in memory of Christian Boswell, a father of two and a former local resident.

Christian lived with cancer for two years and was cared for at St Ann’s Hospice during his final days, before he died aged 39 in 2021.

The lights attract people from across Greater Manchester, who come to see the dazzling display. They can then donate to St Ann’s through QR codes which bring you to Christian Boswell’s tribute page placed around the display. There are also collection boxes for physical donations.

So far Christian’s tribute page has raised over £30,000 for St Ann’s Hospice.

Tim says that footfall for the display has already been great but it largely depends on weather over the next few weeks.

“We are hoping for a good turn over the weekend, there’s still footfall coming through but it is highly weather dependent,” Tim said.

The Warwick Drive Christmas Lights will be on display until the New Year.

To find out more information about how you can donate to St Ann’s Hospice please see their website at www.sah.org.uk/get-involved.

Two events hosted by St Ann’s fundraising committees have raised over £4,000 for the Hospice.

The Little Hulton Volunteer Fundraising Committee held a festive afternoon tea at the Little Hulton hospice while the Heald Green Volunteer Fundraising Committee held a Quizmasters event at Heald Green Social Club.

The Quizmasters event in Heald Green raised a total of £2,694 for the Build it Together new hospice appeal.

Community Fundraiser at St Ann’s, Julie Peters celebrated the recent success of the Quizmasters event.

“We are very lucky to have you all. The event was a huge success, raising a fantastic £2,694 towards the Build it Together new hospice appeal,” she said.

The Festive Afternoon Tea in Little Hulton was also a huge success, raising £1,508 for ongoing care at the hospice.

Community Fundraiser at St Ann’s, Imogen Priestley-Bird shares the success of the recent event held at Little Hulton.

“A heartfelt thank you goes to the Little Hulton Volunteer Fundraising Committee for their dedication and teamwork in putting on yet another amazing event. Your efforts continue to make a huge difference, and we are so grateful for your ongoing support,” she said.

The Great Mancunian Ball, hosted by husband-and-wife Gary and Emma Neville raised £565,980 for the St Ann’s Hospice Build it Together Appeal. All funds raised by the event will go towards the construction of a new hospice in Heald Green, replacing the old site which is over 150 years old.

The ball, which was held at Aviva Studios, the iconic home of Factory International, was designed and planned by industry-leading events company Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC) with support from Truth Creative and the team at St Ann’s Hospice. The venue was transformed to include an international 18-piece party band, The Swan Band, and a scheme of state-of-the-art intelligent lighting.

The night kicked off with a live recording of the award-winning The Overlap presents Stick to Football podcast featuring Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Ian Wright, Jill Scott, and Jamie Carragher discussing all things football and Manchester.

Guests were then treated to an exquisite three-course menu curated by Hessian Fine Dining. The evening included presenter Sally Lindsay and St Ann’s Hospice Ambassador, Lee Boardman coming to the stage to share their personal stories of the care their families received at St Ann’s Hospice.

An auction during the night featured items such as a chance to play five-a-side football against the cast of Stick to Football, the use of private box at Old Trafford donated by Noel McKee, and dinner for ten with Take That legend Howard Donald.

“Emma and I have been lucky enough to meet the patients and staff at the hospice and every time we visit, we are blown away by the care and support. But you can see the building they are in now is getting tired and not working for them.

“They deserve so much more, and they need a state-of-the-art hospice. They shouldn’t be making do when they are caring for these patients and their loved ones who are facing the most challenging time of their lives.”

Chief Executive of St Ann’s Hospice, Rachel McMillan thanked everyone who bought tickets to The Overlap Live Stick to Football, attended the Great Mancunian Ball, and or donated on the night.

“The whole event has been incredible and Gary and Emma, Liz Taylor, and everyone else who has supported us to bring this ball to life, are nothing short of sensational. For them to help us raise an astonishing £565,980 for the new hospice is truly extraordinary. It means the absolute world to us here at St Ann’s and brings us even closer to our fundraising targets to build our new hospice” Rachel said.

Liz Taylor, founder of Taylor Lynn Corporation (TLC), designed the event and also played a pivotal role in securing sponsorship to support the fundraising efforts for the new hospice.

“It has been an absolute honour to be part of The Great Mancunian Ball and help bring this extraordinary vision to life. When Gary and Emma approached me, they could have chosen anyone to support them, but they trusted me because of TLC’s reputation for crafting unforgettable and unique events. Naturally, I said yes without hesitation, donating TLC’s services in support of St Ann’s Hospice.

Prior to the Great Mancunian Ball, Gary and Emma visited St Ann’s Hospice and took the time to visit patients in the Heald Green inpatient unit.

“It was so special to visit the hospice and meet some of the patients. To be able to do this just before the ball was a fantastic motivator to raise as much money as we possibly could on the night. It reminded us all of what we are doing this for and the difference it will make to people in Manchester,” Emma said.

As well as fundraising from special events like The Great Mancunian Ball, St Ann’s Hospice Build it Together public appeal aims to raise £2 million to contribute to the new building. Prior to the Great Mancunian Ball, this appeal had raised nearly £1.5 million and donations of all sizes are welcome, for example £25 will buy a pallet of 25 bricks for the new build or £100 will fund a relaxation room for families and patients to enjoy. You can click here to donate.