A caring daughter from Abergele is looking forward to a St Valentine\u2019s Day treat in aid of the hospice that looked after her father before he died.<\/p>\n
Jackie Jeffrey is grateful to the local businesses who are putting on a special screening of\u00a0 the film Shakespeare in Love at Theatr Twm o\u2019r Nant, in aid of St Kentigern Hospice, St Asaph.<\/p>\n
The event, which starts at 6pm on February 14, will also include live music, champagne, delicious canap\u00e9s, and lots of Belgian chocolate.<\/p>\n
The film starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes tells the story of a\u00a0 young Shakespeare, out of ideas and short of cash, meeting his ideal woman and being inspired to write one of his most famous plays.<\/p>\n
The evening is being supported by care organisation Pendine Park, the Denbigh branch of HSBC, Denbigh Chocolate Shop, Con Amici Italian Bar and Kitchen, Homewood Bound Collections, Buckley-based printers EWS and PR firm Ceidiog Communication.<\/p>\n
St Kentigern is an eight-bed in patient hospice with day care facilities provides unparalleled care for those with life-threatening and terminal illness, but has to rely on 80 per cent of its income from the generous donations of the public.<\/p>\n
Jackie is the Fundraising Manager at St Kentigern but she also has first hand experience of the difference the hospice makes to families.<\/p>\n
Her father Raymond Squire passed away at St Kentigern in 2006 following a stroke.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cI can\u2019t thank them enough for what they did for us as a family, and for what they did for my father.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey gave him pain relief and all that sort of thing and he slowly went to sleep, and that was unbelievable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u00a0 gave him dignity and he just passed away not in pain, quietly, in a room with his family around him. The hospice does that little bit extra, at that particular time in your life when so much is going on.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want your loved ones to die, but if you know that they are and that nothing else can be done, you want some peace and tranquillity and people that understand what you\u2019re going through, and here at St Kentigern we give that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Somebody else who knows the value of the hospice is Edwina Stephen, secretary of Denbigh Film Club.<\/p>\n
She has volunteered on the reception desk at the hospice since 2007 after her mother Evelyn Lloyd-Jones died aged 75 in 2005. She spent her final week being cared for at St Kentigern following after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.<\/p>\n
Edwina said: \u201cUnfortunately my mother was only there a week out of a five week illness. But it was the best place for her to be because it just made such a difference not being in a ward at a hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was no hustle and bustle like in a general hospital. There was peace and calm and the sole purpose was to care for her last days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pendine Park proprietor Mario Kreft MBE has been instrumental in organising the event.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThis is the fourth time we\u2019ve come together as different businesses to put on an event like this.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody has a great time, and it raises some much needed funds for such a worthy cause. It\u2019s a bit of a win, win, win really.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all get a lovely evening out with champagne chocolates and good entertainment which has got to be good for a tenner. It\u2019s fantastic value and I\u2019d recommend to everyone to spend St Valentine\u2019s Day with us.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery single one we\u2019ve done so far has been a sellout. We have no reason to believe that this will be any different so I think people should get their tickets nice and early.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe great thing of course is because all of the businesses come together, every single penny that people pay for their ticket goes to the hospice. There is no claw back for anything. It all goes to the best cause and we think it\u2019s well worth supporting. If we all do a little we can achieve a lot.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe very much are a community based organisation at Pendine Park, and our role in this is to make sure it all happens, to make sure the thing goes ahead, and because of our partners it\u2019s all possible\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Young, of Denbigh Chocolate Shop, will be at the event handing out choccy treats.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI\u2019ve been working with St Kentigern for over 10 years now and it\u2019s always a delight to work with them, and when you think that most of them are volunteers, the passion. Over 500 volunteers is amazing.<\/p>\n
\u201cSt Kentigern do a wonderful job and make a massive difference to people\u2019s lives at a very tough time, and they do it with a smile on their faces.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re an absolute credit to the community and they provide a fantastic service. God bless them and I\u2019m pleased to support them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the least we can do and I\u2019d urge everyone to come and see this film because we\u2019re supporting a great local charity.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see where the money goes, you can see the hospice and you can actually meet the people look them in the eye and say thank you for what you\u2019ve done because they deserve it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ceidiog Hughes, the Managing Director of Ceidiog Communication, said: “I am delighted that so many local businesses have come on board to help us.<\/p>\n
“The hospice is a fantastic place. Whenever\u00a0 you go there you get a warm feeling. The staff are brilliant – you can sense the love in the place<\/p>\n
“The hospice deserves our love and affection and the Valentine’s Day fund-raiser is the perfect opportunity to show that we care.”<\/p>\n
Jackie added: \u201cWe need to raise \u00a31.4 million every year for the annual running costs which equates to about \u00a33,800 a day. It\u2019s a lot of money.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe give 24\/7 care seven days a week all of the year round.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this event is a brilliant idea. They did one for us in 2012 and it raised over \u00a33000.<\/p>\n
\u201cI came to the evening and it was just such a fun-filled packed evening. It was fantastic. So we\u2019re eternally grateful for them choosing to do it again for our Hospice.\u201d<\/p>\n
For ticket enquiries please ring 01745 813426 or visit Denbigh Chocolate Shop<\/strong><\/p>\n