Charity thanks to fundraiser Jaqui
STUART PIKE
AN amazing charity supporter who has raised around £20,000 for East Lancashire Hospice in memory of her friend has been thanked for her incredible efforts.
Jaqui Collins, who was born and bred in Accrington, has collected the money since 2016 and has also raised approximately £45,000 for other good causes too.
Previously a regimental sergeant major in the Royal Military Police, where she completed 32 years, Jaqui is no stranger to rounding up the troops.
Together with plenty of support from the local community, her mum Mo Collins and friend Deborah Keenan, Jaqui has organised family fun days, car boot sales, tombolas, online auctions and psychic nights to name but a few events, each of which have helped her along the way to achieving her incredible fundraising total.
One fundraising event stands out as being particularly unique when Jaqui, Mo and Deborah undertook a hospice-tohospice sponsored scooter ride over four consecutive Tuesdays in March 2017.
The ladies travelled between Accrington Market Hall, East Lancashire Hospice, Derian House Hospice, St Catherine’s Hospice and Pendleside Hospice on mobility scooters kindly provided by Accrington Mobility in Accrington Town Hall.
Jaqui is also well known in the local community for her pop-up shop on Accrington Market which she ran for four months and which raised several hundred pounds a week for East Lancashire Hospice throughout its time, thanks to the kind donations from the people of Accrington.
Her fundraising journey is far from over and she is now working to support other worthy causes in the local region.
Jaqui said she began fundraising for East Lancashire Hospice after her best friend and former colleague Roy Silva stayed there before his death in February 2016, following his diagnosis of terminal neck and throat cancer.
She said: “Thanks to the amazing care provided by East Lancashire Hospice, Roy’s final few weeks were pain-free, his quality of life improved and he was able to enjoy time with his friends and family.”
Sharon Crymble, hospice marketing lead, said: “We are extremely grateful to Jaqui and her friends for the magnificent amount they have raised for the hospice which has allowed us to continue to provide care, compassion and support in the hospice and out in the community and we wish her all the very best for the future as she continues on her fundraising journey.”