hospice appeals to christmas shoppers
(Hemel Hempstead Gazette 23/11/2005)

DIGGING IN: Left to right Louise Cecil, Liz Richards and Liz Daniels at the Marlowes Shopping Centre.

Staff from the Hospice of St Francis took to the streets at the weekend as they urged members of the public to Dig Deep in aid of their £2.5m building campaign.

Cash is still flowing into the appeal with the total standing at just under £110,000 this week. But, generous as it is, it can be but a small dent in the target required.
Last weekend a stall in Marlowes Shopping Centre was set up and passers-by stopped to admire the model of the proposed purpose-built building and to pledge their support.

Louise Cecil and Liz Richards spent the day displaying the model and talking to shoppers. Liz said: "We were amazed by the interest and support we got during the day from the people of Hemel Hempstead and would like to say a big 'thank you' to everyone who 'dug deep', especially the young people who were eager to learn about what a hospice is and who filled our collection buckets with their pocket money.

"It was a great opportunity for us to offer shoppers an alternative Christmas present with our newly launched gift vouchers - It's a Gift. Several people were stuck for gift ideas and were only too pleased to buy a voucher giving a shrub, some bricks or furnishings for the new hospice in lieu of a present.
"We were really grateful to the volunteers who helped us on the stand - hospice trustee David Toorawa, volunteer coordinator Liz Daniel, Linda Morris events volunteer and Doreen Davis."