Some wonderful people have made the decision to leave the hospice a gift in their Will. This is the story of one of these fantastic people, Derek Dickerson.
Derek say’s: “I decided to leave a donation in my Will to St Elizabeth Hospice, because Ipswich is very close to my heart, and because of the wonderful work the staff at the hospice do.
I was born in Ipswich, I went to school there, and I started my very successful Haulage Business there. My business went from strength to strength, especially having Felixstowe dock so close. My business expanded over the years, so that I had a depot in Ipswich, and one in Stowmarket.
When I was in my mid-thirties unfortunately, I had a nervous breakdown, I think because my business had grown so rapidly, I was under huge pressure. My breakdown led to ME, and I was incapable of working, so had to make the very hard decision to sell my business. I also sold my home.
My wife and I decided to move to Norfolk where we had a small holiday home, and I started to get my strength back.
However, we would return to my home town of Ipswich on a regular bases, and put flowers on my parent’s grave and my wife’s parents grave in Sudbury, where my wife was born.
We made a life in Norfolk, opening a couple of seasonal shops in the early days, and then I started my own taxi business, and worked until I was sixty.
Now having long since retired, our favourite thing to do is to drive to Ipswich and surrounding countryside, where we both feel is home.
I decided many years ago if there was any way I could help St Elizabeth Hospice I would so it will be a pleasure to donate to you, and is now written in my Will”.