Lord Popat of Harrow Applauds 35 Years of Care at St Luke’s Hospice With a Celebration at the House of Lords
As a founding Director and Patron of St Luke’s Hospice, Lord Popat of Harrow is the charity’s longest standing supporter. It therefore gave him much pleasure recently to host a celebratory afternoon tea at the House of Lords in honour of our 35th anniversary. Held on Wednesday 9 November in the stately and spectacular Cholmondeley Room & Terrace, the event was a wonderful way to bring together key members of staff, trustees and funders to look back with pride on the Hospice’s achievements and milestones over the last 35 years, and to share our vision for the future.
It was a fantastic and hugely enjoyable occasion with a lot of warmth, support and positivity for the Hospice from around 150 attendees, including the Mayor of Harrow, MPs, Councillors, NHS commissioners, plus many trust, community and legacy supporters. In a touching moment, a local 11 year old boy who had raised £1,000 for the Hospice spoke to the room and was delighted when Lord Popat matched his donation there and then with a cheque for £1,000! The invitees were also moved to hear from Nick Lakhani about how his mother found great comfort from the compassionate staff at St Luke’s during her final days and why he continues to find ways to show his appreciation for the care provided to her.
We have received some fantastic feedback about the event with guests commenting:
“What a lovely afternoon that was (a rare treat for us in the NHS) and such a great achievement for St Luke’s Hospice celebrating 35 years of brilliant care and support to so many people. I felt very honoured to be there and it was lovely to celebrate all the fantastic work that you and your teams all do.”
“I honestly felt last Wednesday was a once in a life time for me and felt so humbled to be celebrating with you after the years we have all worked together.”
Commented Lindsey Bennister, St Luke’s CEO, “It is quite incredible to look back on our humble beginnings and reflect on the milestones that have brought us to where we are today and to celebrate that journey together with the community and Lord Popat, who has always been by our side. From the first charity shop in 1991 to day care services and an Inpatient Unit and moving into Kenton Grange in 2000, it has kept on growing to include teams of doctors, nurses, events, fundraising and educational staff and volunteers and 18 shops. It is now serving the needs of the Harrow and Brent communities 7 days a week, caring for nearly 2,000 people a year at home, in care homes and in the Hospice. Just as the Hospice has grown, so too has the number of people needing our care. Together with the support of our community we can make sure that we continue to meet those needs into the next 35 years and beyond.”
Please enjoy clicking through our selection of photos below:
