News Release

Starlight Ladies Walk Raises Funds for St Rocco's Hospice

On Friday 17th June women from Warrington congregation’s women’s organisation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took part in the 10th annual 'Starlight Ladies Walk' around Warrington town centre in memory of Jean Ives, to raise funds for St. Rocco’s Hospice. St. Rocco’s Hospice provides specialist care and support across Warrington to those who are coping with a terminal or life-limiting illness. All of the care they provide is free for both patients and carers but they are reliant on fundraising, donations and legacies as only a third of their funding comes from the NHS. Without additional financial support from the community, the service would not be able to continue the fantastic work that it does.

Jean Ives understood the importance of this work better than anyone. She worked very closely with St. Rocco’s and other charitable organisations throughout her service as a Public Affairs Specialist for the Church and as a member of the Council of Faiths for 12 years, where she worked hard to bring about unity between various faiths and religions represented in Warrington. Despite receiving a cancer diagnosis herself, Jean did not let this stand in her way of being a shining example of a cheerful giver and even after her illness required her to submit to the care of St. Rocco’s, she was always cheerful by devoting the time that she had to serving others. Jean sadly succumbed to her illness at the end of May. It was a natural step for her friends and sisters in Relief Society (women’s organisation) to honour Jean’s memory by way of participating in the 2016 Starlight Ladies Walk.

There was a tremendous atmosphere throughout the walk as over 1100 women took to the streets of Warrington in memory of all those whose lives have been touched by this wretched disease.  Carol Bass (President of the Church’s women’s organisation), Clare Peartree (Second Counsellor),  Zenith Brett (Young Women’s President),  Tammy Johnston (Public Affairs Specialist) and Hannah Woodruff (Family History Consultant) were able to raise over £800 between them which will contribute to the estimated total of £128,000 pledged to St. Rocco’s Hospice through this year’s Starlight Ladies Walk.

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