All out for cricket finals
(Herald Express 14/9/2006)

Watford's Tommy Smith with Sarah Thompson, hospice funding director, Yvonne Pettingell, hospice matron and Tommy's gran, Edwina, hospice fundraiser.

Crowds gathered at Northchurch Cricket Club on Sunday for the finals of the Hospice Cricket Cup and family fun day.

Guests enjoyed an afternoon of sport and bright sunshine, in a marked contrast to the original scheduled event on August 13, which had to be called off when the heavens opened.
Organiser Phil Moody, of the Hospice of St Francis said: "I was very pleased, it couldn't have been better."

In Sunday's cricket action, GE Healthcare beat Rothampstead Research in the corporate final, while Hawridge and Cholesbury held off the home side Northchurch to win the village competition.
Phil said: "I think everyone enjoyed themselves and all the finalists were pleased.
"We made about £7,000 through the competition which is great and we now have a blue print for the event and I have got leads to do it again next year and hopefully make it even bigger."
As well as the cricket there were plenty of activities to keep the crowds happy including giant kerplunk, jenga, a bouncy castle and crossbow archery.

Watford footballer Tommy Smith, whose grandfather was a patient at the hospice, was also among the crowds and many youngsters took the opportunity to have their pictures taken with him.
Readers of the Herald Express and The Gazette have now raised more than £340,000 for the Dig Deep Campaign for the Hospice of St Francis since the campaign was launched in October last year.

The hospice needs £2.5million to complete the construction of its new purpose built facility on the edge of Berkhamsted.
Liz Richards, of the hospice, said: "It's fantastic that the total has gone up so much in the last month considering it's a time when a lot of people are on holiday.
"The Big Brick Buy appeal is also doing well.
"We've raised £4,000 through that, but obviously we want more!"

Winning teams: Hawridge and Cholesbury (top) and GE Healthcare, (bottom)"

Inspiring speaker

The wife of entertainer and cancer victim Roy Castle gave a moving speech to trustees of The Hospice of St Francis in Berkhamsted last week.

Fiona Castle, speaking as a guest at the hospice's annual general meeting on Wednesday, September 6, told of the struggle to come to terms with her hus­band's illness and the time spent caring for him.

Roy Castle, famous for his work as a musician, entertainer and presenter of TV shows including Record Breakers, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 1992 and died two days after his 62nd birthday in 1994.

In an inspirational talk about both her own and her husband's experience, Fiona said: "You get used to missing the person that you loved."

Fiona told of the shock of her husband's diagnosis - Roy was not a smoker but was exposed to large amounts of smoke while playing trumpet in jazz clubs.

She spoke about the media's interest in her husband's illness - his willingness to share his experience with the public and his efforts to raise money and awareness on behalf of other cancer sufferers.

"He said Tm dying -1 might as well die standing up'," she said.

Fiona also told of her own experience as a carer for her husband and, to the trustees of The Hospice of St Francis, saying: "I just want you to feel valued tonight yourselves, because the work you do means so much to so many people.

"You show kindness and sympathy. You give people dignity when they are dying."

Also speaking at the meeting at Ashlyns School, medical director of the hospice, Dr Ros Taylor, outlined the progress made in building the new hospice.

Dr Taylor spoke about the benefits the new building would bring for both patients and staff, including its future use as a training centre for nurses.

She added: "I don't want us to forget that whatever else The Hospice of St Francis does, the thing we do best is care for the dying."

Chairman of the hospice, Jo Connell, said the new hospice building should be finished in November.

She said: "Moving the hospice will be a tremendous amount of hard work but in February 2007 we will see the completion of a project, the realisation of a dream and the opening of a new chapter in The Hospice of St Francis.