OLDHAM mayor Ginny Alexander has received a special letter of thanks from Dr Kershaw's Hospice.

She met with chief executive Joanne Sloan and Lillie Winterbottom, fundraising manager, to present a £2,000 cheque from the Mayoral Appeal Fund to the hospice.

And in a letter from the hospice she was praised for her “undivided support over the past two years”.

It read: "Over the past year alone, Dr Kershaw's Hospice has received a £2,000 donation from the Mayor's Office. £1,000 of this amount supported the Hospice and patient care at the beginning of the pandemic.

“The remaining £1,000 contributed to the Hospice's 'Furnish with Love - Give the Gift of Comfort' Appeal which raised the funds to enable Dr Kershaw's to furnish the in-patient family lounge in their new In-Patient Unit, providing patients and their families with a place to spend time together making precious forever memories.”

Cllr Alexander said: “Dr Kershaw’s Hospice was chosen as one of my charities for my Mayoral year for a very personal reason; my father spent his last 10 days there in comfort and care before he passed away.

“The hospice continues to provide the excellent care and support which my father and our family received.

“The Hospice teams are remarkable people who work exceptionally hard and are dedicated caring for people living with or affected by life limiting illnesses and their families.

“They believe that end of life deserves as much beauty, attention and respect as care at the beginning of life. Their vision is to support the local community when they need it the most, by ensuring that their clients and their loved ones receive excellent care in their own home as they approach the end of life.”

And she added:”My thanksto each and every person who has donated anything to my Mayoral Appeal Fund, as you have helped to make such a difference to Dr. Kershaw's Hospice and my other chosen charities.”