Chaplain Margaret’s loss becomes our gain

STAFF and patients at East Cheshire Hospice are seeing slightly less of their hospice chaplain, Margaret Lillis.

Margaret spent the 40 days of Lent carefully watching her diet and has managed to lose one stone in weight. And by turning her weight loss of pounds into pounds and pence, Margaret has raised more than £2,000 for the charity.

“There’s no secret to losing weight – you just have to eat less,” she laughs.

“I didn’t starve myself but I just got into the habit of not eating in between meals.”

Margaret, who became hospice chaplain last August, says she enjoyed the support of family and friends and her parishioners at St. Edward the Confessor Church on London Road and her initial target of a modest £755 was quickly surpassed within days.

“I was really surprised at how generous people were and their support really spurred me on during the 40 days,” she says. “The purpose of my fast was not only to lose weight but, as a Chaplain, I wanted to be reminded to put others first and myself second.”

At the end of her fast, Margaret had raised just over £1,900 but that has now been topped up to just over the £2,000 mark.