6 Mar 2025 Community

Charles Jones Court residents Rallies to Support The Kirkwood

A retirement housing community in West Yorkshire has stepped up its support for The Kirkwood after learning more about the charity’s vital work. The group, led by Catherine Eastwood, has already raised over £1,000 and has pledged to continue its fundraising efforts.

Catherine, who manages Charles Jones Court, a retirement housing scheme previously part of the Royal British Legion, became involved with The Kirkwood after witnessing the care they provided for a close friend in his final weeks.

“I lost a dear friend a few years ago, and during that difficult time, The Kirkwood provided him with the most amazing care,” said Catherine. “That experience really stayed with me. When I visited, I was struck by how compassionate and dedicated the staff were. It was a privilege to see my friend looked after so well.”

She had previously visited The Kirkwood years earlier when a family member was in care and was similarly moved by the work they did.

“It took my breath away, what they did then,” she recalled. “But now, having had a friend there in his final weeks, I have seen first hand just how incredible they are. He had moved up to West Yorkshire from London and really settled here. It was devastating to lose him so quickly, but knowing he was comfortable made all the difference.”

Catherine’s involvement with The Kirkwood’s fundraising efforts began by chance at an abseiling event, where she was supporting her husband, former Conservative MP Mark Eastwood.

“While I was waiting for my husband to come down, I got chatting to Judith, who had recently joined The Kirkwood as one of their community fundraisers. We were talking about fundraising, and I mentioned that we always did charity events for Macmillan. Then she said, ‘You do realise that it’s The Kirkwood nurses who provide care in this area, not Macmillan?’ And honestly, I didn’t know that at the time,” Catherine explained.

Determined to act on this new knowledge, Catherine took the information back to her community group and suggested they start raising funds for The Kirkwood.

“I brought it up at a meeting and said, ‘Look, we always do the Macmillan coffee morning, but how about we start doing one for The Kirkwood?’ I explained what Judith had told me, and everyone agreed. That was it we got started and have carried on ever since.”

Charles Jones Court have managed to raise significant funds through a range of local events they have held.

Catherine said: “The money comes from pensioners and vulnerable people who are happy to give. They buy raffle tickets, donate prizes, and support our tabletop stalls. We’re not a huge organisation, but every little bit adds up.”

So far, they have raised over £1,000 for The Kirkwood. Their latest donation of £400 was presented alongside a community raffle, which raised an additional £36 in just a few minutes.

“It’s quite surreal when you see people, who are on benefits themselves, eagerly putting in money for raffle tickets because they care so much,” she said.

In addition to The Kirkwood, the group has also raised funds for other charities, including Yorkshire Air Ambulance, the NSPCC, and local causes.

After hearing recent news about challenges facing The Kirkwood, Catherine and the residents of Charles Jones Court decided to focus more of their efforts on supporting the charity.

“When I got the email about it, I spoke with some of the residents straight away. They had already heard about it too because they had seen Judith at another event. Their immediate response was, ‘We want to do more.’”

Catherine described her frustration at hearing about The Kirkwood’s financial struggles.

“It’s very sad and frustrating. They should never be in a position where their funding is uncertain. The work they do is too important.”

Catherine’s husband, Mark Eastwood, former Conservative MP for Dewsbury, was a strong supporter of The Kirkwood during his time in Parliament.

“He always spoke highly of The Kirkwood,” said Catherine. “I’d go as far as to say it was his favourite charity to work with. He did everything, jumped out of a plane, abseiled, whatever he could to help raise money.”

Mark also visited The Kirkwood’s In-Patient unit multiple times, which Catherine believes left a lasting impression on him.

“If he were still an MP, he’d be fighting tooth and nail for The Kirkwood,” she said. “He was very passionate about it, and I know he would be standing up for them now.”

Despite the challenges, Catherine and the residents are determined to continue fundraising for The Kirkwood.

“We’re absolutely going to keep going,” she said. “There will be more coffee mornings, more raffles, and more fundraising events. The residents here have all said they want to focus more on raising money for The Kirkwood, so I think you’ll be seeing us handing over cheques again and again.”

For The Kirkwood, community support like this is more vital than ever. Thanks to dedicated individuals like Catherine and the generosity of local residents, the charity can continue providing essential care to those who need it most.

If you would like to fundraise for us to help us to continue the good work we do. You can either sign up to play our Big K Lottery HERE. Make a monthly donation HERE. Or take on a challenge or support one of our events HERE.