Devon man raises thousands for Hospiscare

Jim Bray received a 'Hospice Hero' medal

A man from Mid Devon has raised £5,000 for local charity Hospiscare after completing an 8,000-mile tour of the British coast in memory of his sister.

Jim Bray took 58 days to drive around the British Isles and some of its larger islands, including Skye, Mull, Orkney and Anglesey.

Hospiscare cared for his sister, Emma Ansley, before she died aged 48 following a four-year battle with cancer, Sunday 23 March will mark the third anniversary of her passing.

When visiting the charity to hand over the cheque, Jim became the first person to be presented with one of its new “Hospiscare Hero” medals.

Jim Bray said: “It was an epic and memorable journey, made all the more rewarding by the many generous donations for Hospiscare,I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who contributed, especially the kind folk who gave substantial sums to take the total to £5,000."

“Hospiscare provides outstanding care to over 2,000 people a year at the end of their lives – and every donation will help to ensure that many more patients benefit from these vital services in future.

Alice Pragnell, corporate and events co-ordinator for Hospiscare, said: “We are so thankful to Jim for embarking on this epic journey in memory of Emma.

“The money raised will make an incalculable difference to other patients and their families, enabling Hospiscare to be there for them during some of the most difficult times imaginable.

“As a local charity, we receive just 24% of our funding from the NHS and we rely on the generous support of our community to fund our services, so it was with huge feelings of gratitude, pride and privilege that we presented Jim with a coveted Hospiscare Hero medal.

“Thanks to Jim’s efforts and determination, other local people will feel the safe embrace of Hospiscare when it’s most needed."

If you’d like to know how you can help support your local hospice, get in touch here.