Chelmsford News

Fred, 89, makes £10,000 for hospice

7:00am Sunday 14th March 2010

AN 89-year-old Chelmsford man has springboarded his way to raising £10,000 for charity.

Fred Hayman is a resident at Hamilton Court, a sheltered housing scheme run by Springboard. He has been awarded a certificate of honour for the achievement.

Fred, who will be 90 in July, has raised £10,240 for Farleigh Hospice over the past ten years from events he has organised, such as weekly afternoon bingo sessions at Hamilton Court.

He was also a volunteer at a patient care and befriending service at Farleigh Hospice for 25 years. He reluctantly resigned from this role before Christmas, for health reasons.

In 1990 Fred was voted National Hospice Carer of the Year, and in 1995 he was invited to a Royal garden party, nominated on each occasion by the Macmillan nurses at Farleigh Hospice.

The event coincided with the 12th anniversary of the opening of Hamilton Court. Fred is one of four remaining tenants who moved in when the scheme opened on February 2, 1998.

He said: “It has been a wonderful 25 years at the hospice. The word hospice sounds frightening to many people, but the atmosphere is far from miserable there and the doctors and nurses are so loving and caring. It’s made me a better person.”

Gary Hawkes, head of fundraising at Farleigh Hospice, said: “Fred has been a wonderful asset.

“He has volunteered here since 1984 and has seen the hospice go through some remarkable changes.

“On behalf of everyone at Farleigh Hospice I would like to say a big thank you for all of his time and dedication and for his invaluable contribution to Farleigh Hospice.”

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