Friends groups

Joining a group is a chance to meet like minded people, learn new skills and make a big difference to your local community. St Elizabeth Hospice Friends groups are great for individuals who want to do something but not on their own. The groups can be as formal or informal as the people involved wish them to be and all are extremely sociable.

What is a Friends group?

Working as volunteers, Friends Groups organise their own events and activities, supported by the Hospice fundraising team. They have arranged many successful events including coffee mornings, quiz nights, carol singing, fashion shows and much more. Friends Groups also organise public collections in supermarkets or town centres, place and maintain collection pots in the community such as local shops and pubs and circulate leaflets and posters.

For example:

Woodbridge Friends held a street collection in Woodbridge town centre earlier this year which raised over £850 and upcoming events include a tennis tournament, a lecture and a concert by the Ipswich Gilbert and Sullivan Society at St Michaels Church Hall in Martlesham.

Stowmarket Friends (pictured right) is made up of eight members of the local community including joint chairs Sarah John and Julie Buckle, secretary Avis Hickman-Gibb and treasurer Diane Wilson. The Group, which was set up in 2010, has organised a town centre collection raising over £800, a coffee morning and is planning a comedy evening and a 'Calendar Girls' style calendar in 2012. 

Eye Friends held a quiz evening raising £670 and sold Hospice items at the annual Eye Mayor Making parade in June.

Felixstowe Friends organised an evening with the Orwell Connection Choir in June at the Trinity Methodist Church in Felixstowe. The choir performed a wide range of choral music from Gilbert and Sullivan to traditional and folk and the evening raised £277. The group also held collections and a quiz night which raised nearly £900. Forthcoming events include a floral demonstration, quiz night, coffee morning and a Fun Curry Night.

A new group is in the process of being set up in the Waveney area. Since St Elizabeth Hospice's merger with Waveney Hospice Care, A Waveney Friends Group is bring set up and its members will continue to fundraise locally. Waveney Hospice Care held its biggest annual fundraising event of the year in June, A 1940's themed dance at a Second World War hangar in Ellough, near Beccles (see picture right).

You could join one of our existing groups or start your own. No previous fundraising experience is required, just an enthusiasm for the Hospice.

New Friends Groups

The community fundraising team is currently setting up new Friends Groups in Framlingham and Hadleigh. If you would like to be part of these exciting new groups, contact the fundraising team on 01473 723600 or email fundraising@stelizabethhospice.org.uk