17 Oct 2017 Community

Kirkwood Hospice Lottery gives back to devoted Charity-giver

Collecting items from the Denby Dale Hospice shop weekly to pass onto the homeless in exchange for a Lottery ticket, local woman, Pat Heywood, wins Jackpot after buying a single ticket in the Denby Dale Hospice shop.

Pat Heywood, of New Mill, is an avid Charity supporter and has been giving her whole life. In Care work her entire life, Pat has worked as a nurse and a specialist school nurse, and now supports both the Whitechapel Mission homeless charity in London and Kirkwood Hospice as well as doing local dog-sitting free of charge.

Proud Pat being presented with her cheque for £750 by Denby Dale staff and volunteers.

 

In a recent turn of events, Pat’s life of giving was returned when she won the top prize of £750 on the Kirkwood Hospice Lottery. Here’s her story…

“It all started up at Wesleyan Church where there’s a gentleman called John. John collects clothes for the homeless, for the Whitechapel Mission over in London and has been collecting for 20 years. He put an advert out saying asking if anybody had any old towels, bits of soap, or clothing to give to the Mission.

“John goes to the Skelmanthorpe Kirkwood Hospice shop for his donations and they have a bag ready for him to collect, so I thought ‘I’ll give it a go’.

“Back in March this year, I came down to the Denby Dale shop and explained everything to the intrigued staff. I came away with a couple of bags and took them to John. Now I come down once or twice in the month and sometimes I have one bag, sometimes I might have three bags, but it all goes towards the Whitechapel Charity which clothes and feeds the homeless, and gives them chance for a shower.

“The Hospice shop said that the only condition was to buy a Lottery Ticket in exchange for the clothes. I thought, I don’t do lotteries, but I may as well take one.

“I’d been on holiday for three weeks to London and when I came back, I had three phone calls and a message saying that I’d won something on the Lottery. I thought ‘Lottery… what Lottery?’ because I’d never even given winning a second thought.

"What Pat has done is admirable and a really lovely idea. Everybody benefits." Dawn Walker, Lottery Manager

“I rang up and spoke to Beverley, who told me that I’d won the top prize. I didn’t believe it. It was such a shock because you never expect it. I’d buy the ticket and put it to one side or just give them the pound, but I’d never dream of winning. Never in 100 years would I have dreamt about this sort of money.

"I feel very happy for this situation, being able to help both the homeless and the Hospice. It’s all really worthwhile and what goes around, comes around, I guess!”

Kirkwood Hospice Lottery Manager, Dawn Walker, said: “What Pat has done is admirable and a really lovely idea. Everybody benefits. We benefit as a Hospice from Pat buying into our Lottery, and things we can’t sell here are going to an extremely worthwhile cause to benefit others in London, who otherwise wouldn’t have those luxuries of having clean clothes. It is making us able to help others unable to help themselves. Pat is such a lovely person and it’s great that she’s won!

“If you do anything for Kirkwood, you know it’s a local charity, for local people, so you know where the money’s going. This year the Hospice needs over £7million to run and provide care free of charge to patients and their families in Kirklees – so every little bit helps.”

To find out more about the Kirkwood Hospice Lottery and how you could win £750, please click here.