Hospice benefits from Hearty donation

Crafty skills have helped boost a charity’s coffers by £3,000.

The Hearty Quilters met when they all attended quilting lessons in Maidstone and formed the group as it is now in 2005.

With activities throughout the year held at St Nicholas Church Hall in Allington, they donate all proceeds to the Heart of Kent Hospice.

As well as meeting at the Poplar Grove hall once a month for demonstrations of quilting techniques, the group also gives visitors the opportunity to buy fabric remnants and haberdashery tools at its regular sales.

Its annual quilt show in November was a huge success, with the quilters managing to raise £3,000 for the hospice in Hall Road, Aylesford.

The hospice, which provides inpatient and outpatient care, as well as community nursing and bereavement support, revealed last year it needs to make savings of £575,000 in 2017 – on top of the £420,000 cuts it had already made.

Anne Hood and Lisa Prance from the group presented Maddy Boyle, a community partnership fundraiser, with the cheque last Saturday.