Happy birthday to you… happy birthday dear Pilgrims Hospices Lottery!
This April, we celebrated an incredible milestone – 30 wonderful years of Pilgrims Lottery. For three decades, this has been so much more than just a weekly draw. It’s been about kindness, community, and people like you coming together to make a real difference.
Every week, your entries have helped provide compassionate, specialist care for patients and families across our community. That’s something truly special and it simply wouldn’t be possible without you.
30 years of making a difference
Together, over the past 30 years, we’ve been able to:
Raise millions of pounds to fund vital hospice care
Award over £200,000 in prizes every single year
Celebrate more than 5,000 winners annually
Support thousands of patients and their loved ones when it matters most
Behind every number is a person, a family, and a story, and your support has helped bring comfort, dignity, and care to so many.
A personal thank you
Whether you’ve been supporting us for years or have only recently joined, I want to say a heartfelt thank you. You are part of something truly meaningful, and every single entry helps us continue our work.
Join us today
If you’re not already playing, now is the perfect time to get involved.
For just £1 per entry per week, you can be part of something life-changing with the added excitement of chances to win.
And as we continue to celebrate our 30th anniversary, please keep an eye out for our 30th Anniversary Comfort and Joy Superdraw tickets. We’re planning something extra special, and we’d love you to be part of it.
Together, we’ve achieved so much over the past 30 years. With your continued support, we can do even more – reaching more families, providing more care, and making an even greater difference in the years ahead.
Thank you for being part of our journey — and for everything you help make possible.
Warmest wishes,
Shiralee, Lottery Manager
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
12th October 2026
Will you support Pilgrims?
Isabel Smith, Senior Trusts Fundraiser, with Ryan Crown and Adrian Button from the Hospital Saturday Fund
Supporting a charity through your business is a sustainable way to raise vital funds for Pilgrims Hospices whilst increasing brand visibility at the same time.
A commercial partnership simply means raising money for a charity through product sales or service delivery, and is an easy way to embed fundraising into your daily activity. Whether you are a big corporate or a small family-run business, this is a partnership that can work for you.
Our Corporate and Trusts Partnerships Manager, Leila Ilkhan, will guide you every step of the way, ensuring the partnership is tailored to suit your business needs and putting in place the necessary agreements. All you have to do is share how your business is making a difference in the community by doing what you do best.
Could Pilgrims Hospices be your 2027 Charity of the Year?
£30,000 for 300 years
Earlier this year, we were delighted to celebrate an extraordinary year of fundraising support from Furley Page Solicitors. The law firm marked a very special anniversary and chose Pilgrims as their 2026 Charity of the Year. From climbing the Three Peaks to hosting in-house events, the team raised a staggering amount of money. Through this support, a number of projects have been made possible, including equipment for Pilgrims’ community nurses, complementary therapy teams, and furniture to make our family lounge in the Canterbury hospice feel extra homely.
Leila Ilkhan, Corporate and Trusts Partnerships Manager, with Aaron Spencer, Partner and Head of Private Client and Chair of the Furley Page Foundation
See more ways that your business can support Pilgrims:
Sarah and Danny from Injection Development Garage Services in Hersden have been committed supporters of the hospice for many years. Each year, the team sit down with our partnerships team to decide on the year’s fundraising activities.
Driving forward hospice care
This year, Sarah and Danny decided to make a donation for every engine service completed during the summer months. This is a great way for clients to feel part of supporting a charity, boost business revenue, and requires little time to run.
The team at SGS Energy based in Thanet has recently come on board as a Pilgrims Partner by pledging to make a donation for every domestic solar installation carried out.
What we’ve funded recently
Our Trusts fundraising team work closely with departments across the charity, creating a wish list of projects and items needed to deliver our services. Many of the pieces of equipment used in our hospices are funded through donations, and we would like to say thank you to the Trusts and Foundations that have supported our work.
Earlier this year, the Hospital Saturday Fund donated £2,000 to fund a bladder scanner. This piece of equipment means our nurses can preserve patient dignity and manage their pain non-invasively.
A donation of £30,000 from the Albert Hunt Trust also helped our team to buy 25 syringe drivers, which are used on our inpatient units, providing continuous medication to help manage symptoms and provide comfort to patients.
The Cantiacorum Foundation funded our Tiles of Joy project, which welcomed patients, carers and people who attend our bereavement groups to create their own ceramic tiles, each reflecting on what brings them happiness. This project helped participants to relax and be part of a wider meaningful experience.
Find out more about the support we receive from Trusts and Foundations:
If you’re feeling inspired and would like to talk to our fundraising team about how you can get involved with supporting the hospice, email [email protected].
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
9th October 2026
Research updates from Pilgrims Hospices
We’re excited to share the latest news from our Research team, who support Pilgrims Hospices in delivering compassionate end-of-life care across east Kent.
Lisa Gower
Celebrating our first internship awardee to support future research leadership and improve patient care
One of our trainee AdvancedClinical Practitioners, Lisa Gower, has been successful in winning a funded award to undertake a Research Internship with the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration.
Lisa is one of 24 in the first cohort of interns across the Kent, Surrey and Sussex region who started their nine-month placement in March 2026.
The initiative is designed to help more health and care staff build research skills, support evidence-based improvements to services, and widen access to research opportunities across the region. Interns gain valuable experience through placements, mentorship, academic modules, and small-scale research projects. Lisa plans to undertake some palliative care research modules and networking time with Kings College London, and develop a research project to help support referral of patients with end- stage liver disease to the hospice.
Well done, Lisa!
For further information about the Applied Research Collaboration, visit:
Research to understand biological changes in cancer patients to improve their care
Towards the end of life, the body undergoes a profound shift in metabolism. Dr Coyle and researchers at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool have organised the METEL research study to look at changes in the body of cancer patient’s as their disease progresses and towards the end of life. There is very little known about these changes in a person’s body at this incredibly important time, and they will be using urine samples to look at these changes.
The aim of the study is to help accurately predict when someone is nearing the end of life, which is currently hard for clinicians to do, and often occurs only hours or a few days before death. Knowledge of these changes will help clinicians with decision making about care and help avoid treatments that may be unnecessary or burdensome.
In the future, the researchers may also be able to use the samples for other research, for example to help develop various tests and/or treatments that will hopefully improve the care future patients receive.
Pilgrims Hospice Thanet inpatient unit is one of 30 research sites around England that is collecting samples for this study. Dr Anna John is leading the study at the hospice. If a patient is eligible to take part, the patient/loved one will be approached by the study team at the hospice to see if they would like to participate. Participation is voluntary and will not affect the care they receive.
Watch a short video about the METEL study:
Would you be interested in helping the hospice review its research?
Pilgrims undertake research and receives many requests from researchers to undertake research in the hospice. All projects are reviewed by the hospice Research Facilitation and Governance Forum for their agreement to start, and their oversight whilst projects are running, through quarterly meetings.
We’re currently looking for a public member to join the forum as a volunteer to provide their perspective. This role will help us to ensure the research we do is designed and conducted appropriately for the people we care for.
Interested in this role?
To find out more, please contact our Research Facilitator:
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
6th October 2026
Theresa Rowlstone: A remarkable career caring for the people of east Kent
For more than three decades, Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) Theresa Rowlstone dedicated her nursing career to caring for people with life-limiting illnesses and their families across east Kent.
Theresa, who has recently moved from Whitstable to Herne Bay, qualified as a nurse from the Canterbury and Thanet School of Nursing in January 1987. Having initially considered a career in children’s physiotherapy or teaching, it was her mum, who was also a nurse, who encouraged her to choose nursing, a decision that shaped an extraordinary career.
Theresa in her early nursing career
Theresa joined Pilgrims Hospices as a staff nurse at Canterbury in March 1988, before taking time away to undertake a specialist cancer course at the Royal Marsden. She later worked as a senior staff nurse at Margate hospital before returning to Pilgrims in 1992 as ward sister at the newly opened Thanet hospice.
Over the years, Theresa has worked across all three Pilgrims sites, progressing from staff nurse and ward sister to senior nurse manager, a role she held at Thanet for 17 years. She also developed a strong interest in education, achieving a Master’s degree in 2009 before joining the education team in a clinical practice development role.
“I really enjoyed being part of the education and training team,” Theresa says. “It was exciting to be involved in developing people and helping them progress in their careers.”
Although she loved teaching, Theresa missed the direct connection with patients and their families. She returned to clinical care and went on to become an Advanced Clinical Practitioner, a role she has held for many years.
A career of change, learning and compassion
Throughout her career, Theresa has witnessed enormous changes in nursing, palliative care and the services provided by Pilgrims. Yet one thing has remained constant: her belief that patients must always be at the heart of everything we do.
“For me, it’s about keeping the patient at the centre of everything we do at Pilgrims,” she says. “It’s a privilege to be alongside families and helping them plan for what’s ahead for them.”
Theresa has also seen huge changes in the opportunities available to nurses and healthcare assistants:
“We now have four ACP and four trainee ACPs, allowing us to provide training and supervision for our successors in this development.”
“You can really have a great career here. There are opportunities to learn new skills to enhance your career. I find it all very exciting.”
For Theresa, one of the greatest lessons of a career in palliative care has been learning what really matters:
“This job teaches you what’s important; making the most of life, finding the things you love and pursuing them. It’s always taught me to live for the day.”
Ready for the next chapter
After more than 35 years with Pilgrims, Theresa says she now feels ready for retirement:
“I feel I’m ready and at peace with retiring. I’ve had a brilliant career.”
Having experienced arthritis and undergone a knee replacement, Theresa decided it was time to “bite the bullet” and embrace the next chapter.
She and her husband have recently moved to Herne Bay and are looking forward to more time together, holidays, trips to the cinema and swimming pool, and discovering the cafes along the coast:
“I think time will fill up pretty quickly,” Theresa laughs. “I might actually be busier in retirement than when I was working – but nicely busy!”
She is also looking forward to spending more time with her granddaughter and time supporting her parents.
Time for creativity and theatre
Retirement will give Theresa more time to enjoy her creative interests, particularly her love of amateur dramatics.
“I’m still involved with amateur dramatics. I’ve got plays that I’m arranging costumes for – up until Christmas ” she says.
She is looking forward to getting back to “treading the boards” and having a little more time to learn her lines.
She also hopes retirement will give her more time for crafts, including a local craft group she attends once a month:
“I want to have some time to focus on the things I love, like crafts.”
Theresa is also considering volunteering in the future, perhaps in a charity shop, although she is happy to take her time deciding what comes next:
“I’m definitely taking a few months out to decide what’s next and possibly still keep some involvement with Pilgrims Hospices.”
Theresa’s advice for the next generation
Theresa believes nursing and hospice care offer more opportunities than ever for those starting their careers.
“Seize the opportunities,” she says. “What’s exciting about Pilgrims is that nurses come together across the charity; there’s a career pathway for nurses and HCAs.”
A lasting legacy
For Theresa, being a nurse has become a fundamental part of who she is.
“Being a nurse and a palliative care nurse is part of my identity; I think initially retirement will feel a bit like a holiday.”
After such a long and rewarding career, Theresa leaves behind a wealth of experience, knowledge and memories, as well as the many people whose lives she has touched along the way.
A few words from Theresa’s colleagues
“Theresa has been such a key part of Pilgrims for so many years that it is hard to imagine the place without her; she has quite simply become part of the furniture!
“She is a truly compassionate and empathetic nurse who has always gone above and beyond, putting patients at the very heart of everything she does. I cannot begin to imagine the number of patients and families she has supported and cared for over the years, as well as the countless members of staff whose lives she has touched along the way.
“Theresa is always so positive and is quite simply a ray of sunshine. She has a wonderful ability to make people feel supported and valued, and I don’t think I have ever heard her say a cross word about anyone!
“She has also been a great source of support for staff, whether through her wellbeing sessions, the occasional Easter quiz or her Christmas decorations, which helped bring a little extra sparkle to Pilgrims each year.
“Theresa will be greatly missed by all of us. Her kindness, compassion, positivity and unwavering dedication have made a lasting difference to so many people.
“We wish her all the very best for her retirement and hope the years ahead are filled with happiness, laughter, relaxation and plenty of wonderful adventures. She absolutely deserves it!
“Enjoy your retirement, Theresa – you will be very much missed!”
Kate White, Senior Nurse Manager
“We are grateful for Theresa that she not only brought her dedicated care and compassion to her work at the hospice, but also her creativity and love for teaching.
“She has helped to shape the career pathways that are now available at Pilgrims Hospices, especially for our nursing colleagues. However, it is not only nurses, but also doctors and other colleagues of the wider clinical teams who have benefited from her clinical experience and wisdom, and Theresa will be missed by her colleagues just as much as by the patients and their families.
“On behalf of the executive team, I thank her wholeheartedly and wish her well in her retirement and many adventures to come.”
Dr Pia Amsler, Medical Director and Consultant
“Theresa is always upbeat and looking for the positive. She is incredibly supportive of staff, and has a constant stream of activities to keep people happy.
“Alongside that, she brings such a wealth of experience from all the years she has worked in this area. There is very little Theresa hasn’t come across before, and she is always able to offer sage advice.
“She has been an extremely committed member of the team, giving her all to the organisation. She now deserves an enjoyable and restful retirement, although I don’t suppose she’ll be resting very much!”
Andrew Thorns, Lead Consultant in Palliative Care
As Theresa begins her retirement, everyone at Pilgrims will be wishing her a very happy next chapter, with plenty of time for the people and things she loves, new adventures, crafts, theatre and, hopefully, plenty of opportunities to take a well-earned bow.
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
Forty years of kindness: Pilgrims nurse reflects on a lifetime of care
A Pilgrims Hospices nurse is celebrating an incredible 40 years with the charity, marking a lifetime dedicated to supporting patients and families during some of their most difficult moments.
Tricia in her early nursing career
Tricia Ash joined Pilgrims Hospice Canterbury in September 1986, following a nursing career that began six years earlier at King’s College Hospital in London. Now, after 46 years in nursing, she continues to feel the same passion and sense of purpose that inspired her at the beginning of her journey.
“I always thought I would go into some sort of medical profession,” says Tricia. “My mother was a nurse and my father was a doctor, so it felt like a natural path for me. Looking back, it was definitely the right decision.”
During her nursing training, Tricia attended a lecture by Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the modern hospice movement, which inspired her to pursue a career in hospice care.
“I remember sitting there thinking, ‘This is the type of nursing that I want to do.’ I wanted to work somewhere where there was no drama, where you could spend time with patients and where care was truly centred around the individual.”
After gaining experience at St Christopher’s Hospice in London, Tricia moved to Kent and began her career with Pilgrims, where she has cared for countless patients and families over four decades.
For Tricia, hospice nursing remains a privilege.
“Being able to walk alongside a patient and their family when they are facing some of the hardest times of their lives is something I never take for granted. As part of the community team, I also feel incredibly privileged to go into people’s homes and support them there.”
Tricia Ash 6x4 5
Tricia Ash 6x4 4
Tricia Ash 6x4 3
Tricia Ash 6x4 1
Tricia Ash 6x4 2
Tricia enjoyed a tea party with colleagues to celebrate her anniversary
Sarah Martins, Pilgrims Hospices Deputy Head of Nursing, said:
“For 40 years, Tricia has supported countless patients and their loved ones across her various roles. Always kind, patient and thorough, she has truly embodied the principles of hospice care, keeping our core values at the heart of all she does.
“Guiding and supporting colleagues throughout their professional journeys at Pilgrims has been an important part of helping to develop the next generation of our team. I know they have greatly appreciated Tricia’s calm and methodical approach, alongside the wealth of wisdom and experience she has always been so generous in sharing.
“Tricia has evolved alongside the hospice, witnessing many changes within our service and the wider healthcare system. Throughout this time, she has kept her practice up to date while ensuring that care, compassion and dignity remain at the heart of her nursing.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside her, and I know she has the utmost respect of the wider team for her knowledge, understanding and steady approach. Whether supporting patients over the phone or face to face, Tricia ensures they feel heard, valued and cared for, particularly at some of the most difficult times in their lives.
“Congratulations on reaching such a significant milestone, Tricia. It’s a huge achievement.”
Tricia
Throughout her career, Tricia has witnessed many changes in nursing, but believes the most important qualities remain the same:
“Being organised, listening well and appearing calm and unrushed, even when you are very busy, are all important qualities of a great nurse.”
She says one of the things she values most about Pilgrims is the shared commitment across the organisation:
“I love the fact that everyone in the Pilgrims team has the patient and their family at the centre of everything they do. Everyone has the same focus and supports each other so much.”
After 46 years in nursing, Tricia still finds every day rewarding:
“No two days are the same. I genuinely feel that I learn something new every day, which is one of the things I love about the job. It is incredibly rewarding looking after people.”
Reflecting on what reaching 40 years with Pilgrims means to her, Tricia says:
“It has given me a wonderful insight into different people’s lives, and this has given me more than I have given.”
Tricia’s family describe her as patient, kind, calm and caring, qualities that have undoubtedly touched the lives of many patients, families and colleagues throughout her remarkable nursing journey.
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
5th October 2026
Remembering our dads with love: Yat and Claire’s story
Yat and Claire Lee from Herne Bay support Pilgrims Hospices in memory of their fathers, Wai Lung Lee and David Ingrey, who were cared for at the Canterbury hospice within 12 months of each other – Wai Lung in December 2024, and David in September-October 2025.
The family felt so supported by Pilgrims, both during Wai Lung and David’s illnesses and after their deaths, that they are keen to give back; they want to help ensure that other local families can receive the same compassionate care.
Yat’s father, Wai Lung
Yat, Claire and their 3-year-old daughter, April, attended Sunflower Memories at the Canterbury hospice in July 2026. The event provides an opportunity to dedicate memory markers to Wai Lung and David, which are planted in the hospice gardens, and spend a summer’s afternoon reflecting and remembering with love.
Yat said:
“It was such a lovely and poignant day for us. As April is still so young, she doesn’t yet fully understand the significance of the day or how much it means to both of us.
“The support that my mother, my four siblings, and I received during Dad’s time at the hospice was truly indescribable. The team at Pilgrims, along with the support from their Stepping Stones services, helped us through one of the most difficult periods of our lives.
Claire’s father, David
“When my father-in-law, David, was referred to the hospice, we experienced the same outstanding level of care, compassion, and support that I had witnessed a year earlier.
“With both bereavements happening less than a year apart, it was very difficult. Without Pilgrims’ help, we don’t know how we would have coped.
“We feel we owe so much to the staff at Pilgrims. They made the remaining time both our fathers had as comfortable and dignified as possible, and that is something our families will never forget.
“It’s so important to raise awareness of the incredible work Pilgrims does, which is why we want to share our story.”
Pilgrims Hospices provides compassionate, specialist care free of charge to thousands of people in east Kent each year who are living with life-limiting conditions. Support is offered in patients’ homes, in the community, and at our three hospice sites in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford. We also run a 24-hour advice line.
