Icing on the cake as hospice celebrates 40th anniversary

Patients, volunteers and staff have helped to create special cakes to mark the 40th anniversary of Treetops Hospice.

A brother and sister receiving support following a diagnosis of Huntington’s Disease, and a woman whose daughter and husband died within a few months of each other, were among those who helped ice more than 3,000 cakes.

Siblings Fraser and Chelsea Higgins – both from Ilkeston – attend the Huntington’s Disease Support Group at Treetops Hospice.

Thirty-one-year-old Fraser is living with the disease and his sister, Chelsea, is one of his carers.

They joined patients, counselling clients, volunteers and staff in prepping special muffins that, along with the cakes, were distributed to Treetops’ 19 charity shops across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.

Also taking part in the cake icing was Rosemary Wright, 79, who attended bereavement counselling at the end-of-life charity based in Risley, following the unexpected deaths of her daughter Deb, 52, and husband Ken.

As well as the charity shops, cakes were also delivered to Treetops Hospice supporters, including Derby County Community Trust, Derbion, Ron Brooks Toyota and Nelson’s Solicitors.

Julie Heath, chief executive of Treetops Hospice, who also took part in the cake decorating, said: “This was our way of thanking the local community for helping Treetops Hospice to reach this amazing milestone.

“We’re really proud to have cared for thousands of patients and their loved ones at the most challenging time of their lives since the charity began.

“Our care has changed such a lot over the last 40 years. Now, more than ever, patients are choosing to receive our care in the comfort of their own home.

“We’re also taking our support and information out into the local community to make it even more accessible.

“This wouldn’t be possible, though, without the hard work and dedication of our staff and our volunteers who help across the whole hospice and out in our charity shops, and our wonderful supporters.

“Without them all, we just wouldn’t be the charity we are today.”