7 Jul 2017 Business Buddies

Supporting with a Sunflower

Event Sponsors, Purple Dog and Kings Mill Carpets,'s delight as they support Kirkwood Hospice’s Sunflower Memories Appeal.

Local Kirklees companies, Purple Dog and Kings Mill Carpets are kindly supporting this year’s Sunflower Memories Appeal at Kirkwood Hospice.

The appeal, now in its fourth year, is a beautiful way to celebrate the life of someone you love. In return for a donation, the name of your special person will be written on a striking Sunflower plaque and ‘planted’ in the Hospice gardens along with many others, forming a lovely carpet of yellow blooms.

Deighton-based First Aid and Health and Safety training provider, Purple Dog, was founded by Helen Ashcroft and Steve Moss. The couple are supporting the Hospice in a number of ways throughout its 30th Anniversary Year and have chosen to sponsor this year’s Sunflower Memories Appeal for very personal reasons.

Helen Ashcroft, CEO and Co-founder, and Steve Moss, Managing Director and Co-founder, with Kirkwood Hospice's Kate Leadbeater.

 

Helen said: “Sarah Brooke, Steve’s ex-partner and mother to his eldest daughter, Kelly, had cancer three years ago and was given just a short time to live. Her one and only night in the Hospice was her last night.

“Kelly has never forgotten the care and the support given by the Hospice. As a thank you for what they’ve done for our daughter, there was no question about it. That’s our chosen charity.”

Purple Dog has its roots in a very personal story too, which Helen shared with us.

Helen said: “Years and years ago, Steve’s best friend had a baby who unfortunately passed away. When they went to Steve for help, Steve couldn’t do anything because he hadn’t been taught effectively. He was taught by somebody who had just read a book and thought that they could teach First Aid.

“We decided at that point, that that was it. We wouldn’t put anybody else in that situation and that’s where it all started.

“Here at Purple Dog, we deliver First Aid and Safety courses. As well as having a package of online courses, we also run courses here in our training room and in-house delivering to companies. We deliver courses that meet the needs so we can mix and match and make them bespoke.

"Kelly has never forgotten the care and the support given by the Hospice." Helen Ashcroft

“We’ve got the experience, and people that work for us have got the experience, of dealing with the situations so we can talk from the heart and we’re not just talking from something that we have read.”

Please join Kirkwood Hospice this weekend, Saturday 8th July between 11am and 3pm, to view your sunflower on display and to recall sunny thoughts and happy memories. For more information and to make a dedication to someone you love, please click here.

To find out more about Purple Dog Training, please visit: www.purpledogltd.co.uk, email: info@purpledogltd.co.uk or speak to a member of the Team on: 01484 546780.