Daughter of long term hospice volunteer to walk Sunrise Sparkle in memory of "the best mum”

Pamela was a very busy woman. She was a secondary school teacher and a mum of two, yet still managed to find time to do a masters degree at Hull University. After finally winding down at the age of 60, she decided she wanted to give back to the community.

Tanya, Pamela’s daughter, said: “She was a hard worker, she was a secondary school French teacher and she did a couple of years as head of department and deputy head of year. When she retired and she finally had time for herself, she decided she wanted to keep busy and give her time at the Andy’s shop in Louth.”

She continued to support the hospice by volunteering once a week for 15 years and was very passionate about it.

“Every Tuesday or Wednesday, she used to jump on the number 51 bus and trotted off to “work”, she used to call it. She would spend all day there sorting all of the donations and pricing it, then eventually she moved onto the tills.

“She would come home with t-shirts and tops and bags, and she would show off what she got from the charity shop. She probably bought more than she sold!”

Unfortunately, at age 75, Pamela was diagnosed with cancer. She continued working at the shop after her diagnosis up until she “just became too poorly”, which is when she decided she wanted to access the support the hospice offered.

Tanya explained: “To begin with, she was an outpatient and went in for activities and beauty treatments to help her feel good about herself. She passed in the hospice, that’s where she wanted to go. She knew what they could offer and she knew she would be at peace there, and she didn’t want to put that pressure on me and my dad if she was at home. It was nice that after giving to the hospice after all those years, the hospice could give something back.”

When Tanya heard Sparkle Walk was returning, memories began flooding back.

“The very first Sparkle Walk, I did with my mum. She probably persuaded me because it was a very well-known charity and she obviously had a connection to the hospice since she volunteered there. Plus, it was something we could do together.”

Now, with her own three daughters and Pamela’s twin sister, Tanya is putting her Sparkle t-shirt back on in memory of her mum.

“I wanted to do the Sunrise Sparkle as a bit of a nod to my mum. Me and my mum did it two or three times together, and I can now do it with my girls and raise money for the hospice after my mum has both helped and utilized it.

“She was the best. She was just what every mum wants to be like. We were really close, she is what I wanted to be like, I wanted to follow in her footsteps. She was my mum.”

If you would like to walk the Sunrise Sparkle in memory of a loved one, or to help provide care for a family like Tanya’s, you still have time to register. For more information, click here