11 Oct 2024 Community

Dawn Walker completes an amazing 25 years working for The Kirkwood

Dawn Walker joined The Kirkwood in 1999 with a mission to launch ‘The Big K Lottery’, previously known as the ‘2000 Club’. Since then, our charity has transformed, expanding our services and growing our lottery to include over 14,000 weekly players.

In total our lottery has now raised over £9.5 million! Dawn explained: “I came in to help set up a new lottery the charity wanted to start. It was named the ‘2000 Club’ at the beginning, marking its launch during the millennium with a goal to sign up 2,000 members.”

It’s safe to say that milestone has been well and truly surpassed since our lottery’s launch! The Kirkwood’s impact has grown dramatically since Dawn joined the team, with over 2,000 patients and families now cared for each year.

“When I first started my job, The Kirkwood was a very different charity. We were a smaller team back then and didn’t offer as many services.” The Kirkwood began as a hospice, but today we are a movement, dedicated to providing care and support to those affected by any life limiting illness – on our In-Patient Unit, in patients’ homes and in towns and villages right across Kirklees.

“We wouldn’t have been able to deliver the care we do without the funding our lottery players and regular givers have provided over the years. These funds ensure that we can continue to provide essential services, even as the financial landscape changes and the need for charitable donations increases.”

Dawn is deeply proud of the impact the charity has had on families’ lives. Her 25-year journey has been marked by emotional stories of support and life-changing differences made through The Kirkwood’s services.

If you’d like to help fund our crucial services, why not join The Big K Lottery from £1 a week or become a Regular Giver from just £5 per month. Every contribution will have a huge impact on the care and support we provide. Sign up HERE