Severn Hospice Christmas raffle launch and Duncan's story
A much-loved Shropshire charity has just launched its Christmas raffle – with a jackpot prize of £5,000.
Severn Hospice holds two raffles each year and proceeds from ticket sales are used to fund the dedicated, compassionate care it provides to thousands of local people living with incurable illness.
No one knows more about this care than Duncan Jones, from Shrewsbury whose wife Bridget passed away at the age of 58 at the hospice.
Bridget, a mother-of-two, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021 and, by August 2023, was receiving end-of-life care at home before being admitted to Perry ward where she died peacefully.
“Her care and the care my children and I received was exceptional,” said Duncan.
Now, Duncan is encouraging supporters of Severn Hospice to buy tickets for its Christmas raffle saying every ticket sold makes a real difference.
“Supporting Severn Hospice is not just a donation – it's a direct investment in dignity, in humanity and in the kind of death we would all wish for our loved ones and for ourselves,” he said.
Duncan knows first-hand the contrast between hospital and hospice care. In 1999, his first wife Vicki died of breast cancer. Duncan explained that both received exemplary care but while Bridget experienced a ‘good’ death, Vicki’s was very different. "She died in pain and discomfort in a busy, overstretched ward.”
By contrast, Duncan was able to sleep at Bridget’s side, with their dog Sparkle curled at her feet and the doors of her room open to the hospice’s garden.
“She was never alone,” said Duncan. “Everyone at Severn Hospice understands they cannot change the outcome, but they can change the experience. Hospices have time, they have space, and they understand the rhythm of dying. They walk alongside you in those final weeks and days – gently, patiently, with empathy and grace. It is here – in end-of-life care, where the distinction between hospital and hospice becomes so stark.
“Please support their raffle – so that more people can have a ‘good death’. Hospices do not have the same guaranteed financial support as hospitals do. They remain reliant on the generosity of individuals, trusts, companies and fundraisers. Buy a ticket today and support that care.”
Karen Swindells, Head of Individual Giving at Severn Hospice, said: “We are so grateful to Duncan for allowing us to tell his story which illustrates the difference our care makes. But this care is not possible without fundraising, and our Christmas and Summer raffles play a vital role in that.
“Please support our raffle this year and enable us to care for local families facing heartbreak. It’s only £1 a ticket and makes a huge difference to us. It’s because you care that we can.”
To buy a raffle ticket, which cost £1 each, go to the charity’s website severnhospice.org.uk/raffle in any Severn Hospice shop and from hospice receptions.
