Prolific donor raised £2,423 for Katharine House Hospice in 2018 with handmade gifts

A prolific Katharine House Hospice donor was at it again as she presented the charity with a cheque representing another year of fundraising dedication.
Margaret Whittle presents a cheque to Katharine House Hospice. L-R Lucy Riley, Sarah Meade, Margaret Whittle and daughter Ursula NNL-190701-123006001Margaret Whittle presents a cheque to Katharine House Hospice. L-R Lucy Riley, Sarah Meade, Margaret Whittle and daughter Ursula NNL-190701-123006001
Margaret Whittle presents a cheque to Katharine House Hospice. L-R Lucy Riley, Sarah Meade, Margaret Whittle and daughter Ursula NNL-190701-123006001

Margaret Whittle, 87, began fundraising for the hospice in 1993 with her late husband Peter.

In the subsequent 26 years Mrs Whittle has raised over £120,000 primarily by making and crafts such as hand stitched lavender bags which are sold by her daughter, Ursula’s, company, Heyland and Whittle at events across the country.

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Mrs Whittle said: “Heyland sell them at the Chelsea Flower Show, Hampton Court all those sorts of places and I’ve raised £2423 this year.”

Mrs Whittle supplies her own fabric but her and Peter’s passion for handmade crafts was borne out of necessity.

Mrs Whittle said: “We had five children all under the age of five so we had to make stuff as we were never particularly well off.”

Margaret and Peter’s crafts became so popular that once a year they would open up there Tadmarton home for a craft fair.

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Her hand stitched lavender bags remain popular and sell for just £1 each.

Mrs Whittle said: “I just sit and sew, I enjoy it. I’ve always been interested in different types of fabric and things like that.”

The cheque was presented to Katharine House on January 2 to Lucy Riley and Sarah Meads both part of the KHH fundraising team.

Sarah said: “This is amazing what Margaret has done for us over the past 26 years.”