Wendy Completes 6 Year Fundraising Campaign in Memory of Daughter

A mother who has been fundraising for 6 years since her daughter died has smashed the target she set for fund raising in her memory.

Wendy Goddard from Stowupland, has been raising money since her daughter, Zoe Goddard, passed away six years ago of cervical cancer, at the age of 27, while under the care of St Elizabeth Hospice.

Her last fundraising event – a charity dinner at Stonham Barns Park – has helped her take her total money raised to £94,566 which exceeds three times her target figure of £30,000.

Wendy has been raising money, including a #weare30 campaign in 2020 – the year Zoe would have been 30, for St Elizabeth’s Hospice and other local causes, who looked after Zoe before her passing.

Wendy said: ‘Zoe was everything to us. She was loving, kind, so full of fun and the most perfect daughter. She is watching over us all now as we celebrate her life through this fund raising – that she started herself and asked me to continue.

“It has been an honour to do this for her and our hope is that through the work of the St Elizabeth Hospice others will get the invaluable support we were given. I can’t thank them and Stonham Barns Park enough; for all the support they have given us throughout these past years.

“It really was a long journey to raise the money, but I am so pleased that I did. I live every day being grateful for the love of Zoe and my family.”

The charity dinner at Stonham Banrs Park also included Live Music from Its Fete an eight-piece band performing funk, soul and disco classics, a Live Auction, Raffle and a three-course dinner. Prizes included a helicopter experience, a trip for two to The Shard in London, a hot tub, a Weekend Holiday Stay at Stonham Barns Park with a golf voucher and signed Ipswich Town Football.

Alan Forward, owner of Stonham Barns Park who have been supporters of Wendy’s fundraising for many years, said: “Wendy inspires us all with her tireless work for the St Elizabeth Hospice. She is driven to give something back to them in memory of her daughter. Wendy and her family all received enormous comfort and support from the hospice team.

“As Wendy strives to serve the community with her efforts, we wanted to show her that the community supports her by helping where possible. We are absolutely in awe of her achievements.”

Community relationships fundraising manager at St Elizabeth Hospice, Celia Joseph added; “Thank you to Wendy on behalf of the hospice team for raising such an amazing amount of funds for the charity but also for her tireless efforts over the last few years.

“It really is a fantastic achievement and every penny Wendy has raised really will make a difference to the lives of so many people in the local community, as we continue to develop our services to support more people in these communities for years to come.”