Retiring Peterborough fundraisers speak of pride at raising £125k for local children’s hospices

Three seasoned fundraisers from our region who have helped to raise well over £100,000 for local children’s hospices have said they are “so proud” of the work they have done.

Barbara Davies (78), Anne Simmons, and Chrissie Rawlinson (both 77), have been tireless supporters of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), which is based in Milton, Cambs.

The three ladies, who have been linchpins of EACH’s Peterborough Friends Group for many years, have helped raise nearly £125,000.

“I feel so proud - I couldn’t believe it when we found out how much we’d raised,” said Chrissie, who lives in Easton-on-the-Hill and has three children and seven grandchildren.

“It’s hugely rewarding and I hope that money has made a real difference.”

“I couldn’t be more happy or proud of everything we achieved together, as a team,”

added mum of two, Barbara, who also has seven grandsons.

“It’s so much money and our privilege to have helped and supported such a magnificent charity.”

All three ladies have recently decided that now is the right time to hand over the baton to a new generation of fundraisers:

Barbara, who lives in Peterborough and was a driving force behind the group for many years, decided to step down last month.

“EACH ran through my veins for many years and became part of me,” she explained..

“It took up a lot of my time but was always worth it and something I enjoyed and found very rewarding.

“Volunteering is definitely something I’d recommend to anyone,” she said.

“It gives you a great sense of achievement and an opportunity to make a

real difference.”

At its height, the Peterborough Friends Group had 15 members.

The group used a raft of strategies to raise money for EACH, organising countless coffee mornings, raffles, tombolas and bucket collections, as well as attending fetes, festivals, carol services and firework displays to help raise awareness of the hospices’ work.

Sadly, the number of people in the group slowly dwindled, with some deciding to call it quits for good after the pandemic.

Mum-of-two Anne, who lives in Yaxley, had been at the heart of the group since its inaugural meeting in 2010.

“People have said ‘why do you want to volunteer for a hospice? What a sad and

upsetting place it must be’, “ she said.

“However, nothing could be further from the truth and I’ve always found it such a

positive, uplifting environment.”

Anne and Chrissie recently returned to EACH HQ at Milton to have a final look round.

Typically, the two ladies presented the hospice with a cheque for £3,258, the amount of money they had raised during 2023.

While each lady is looking to the future with individual hopes and plans, all three are united in their hope that others – a new generation of fundraisers – will take up where they left off:

“EACH needs people to help, volunteer and raise funds,” they said.

Are you interested in volunteering for EACH, and/or raising funds and awareness in the Peterborough area?

If so, please email [email protected] to express an interest or find out more.