Spicy Fundraiser Brings in Over £600 for Hospice
Nov 9, 2010
A kind-hearted restaurant owner has collected £625 for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice in an evening of spicy fundraising.
Shofiq ul Hoque, owner of Sylhet Spice, in York Road, Kings Heath, staged the event in memory of one of his regular customers, Katie Grosvenor. Katie, aged 21, was cared for by the Hospice recently.
A combination of meal sales, a raffle and donations from the 70 customers who attended on the night helped bring in the impressive total. Singer Lisa Marie and comedian JP James also livened up proceedings with songs and humour.
Katie’s mother Nora, of Shutlock Lane, Birmingham, said: “We were very touched by the charity event. Katie loved eating at the restaurant and to be able to give something back to Birmingham St Mary’s is wonderful after they supported and cared for Katie in such a special way.”
Mr ul Hoque (pictured with fundraiser Jo Proudler) said: “On hearing about the fantastic care provided at Birmingham St Mary’s I decided the least we could do was show our support for this vital local charity. There was a brilliant turnout for our evening and our customers showed real generosity. I’d like to thank everyone who came along.”
Hospice Head of Fundraising Caroline Taylor thanked Mr ul Hoque for staging the curry night.
“This is a wonderful contribution to the Hospice. Mr ul Hoque and his customers will make a big difference to people with life-limiting illnesses from Birmingham and Sandwell,” she said.
Since its launch in 1979, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice has cared for tens of thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer, motor neurone disease and MS.
With around 52 percent of the Hospice’s budget reliant on public goodwill, community fundraising is crucial to ensuring its highly specialised services can continue to be offered to the people of Birmingham and Sandwell.
In addition to a 25-bed Inpatient Unit, Birmingham St Mary’s boasts a 20-place Day Hospice and provides community care to people who wish to stay in their own homes.
The Hospice also supports relatives with bereavement preparation, physiotherapy tuition and counselling in addition to many other services.
Annual running costs stand at £6.3 million, with around £1 million being raised in the Hospice’s shops and £2.7 million via fundraising. The remainder comes from the NHS.
Birmingham St Mary’s nurses, often referred to by patients and relatives as ‘angels’, are renowned for going that extra mile to ensure people with terminal illnesses enjoy the best possible quality of life.
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