Remembering Nan: Dylan’s special connection to Pilgrims Hospices

Burgess Hodgson is supporting Pilgrims Hospices as its Charity of the Year for 2026, a partnership that has a particularly personal meaning for one member of its charity committee.

For Dylan Jones, supporting Pilgrims Hospices through his workplace is about much more than fundraising.

The Canterbury accountancy firm, Burgess Hodgson, has chosen Pilgrims as one of its charities for 2026, with colleagues taking part in challenges, quizzes and a host of fundraising activities throughout the year.

For Dylan, who has worked at Burgess Hodgson for four years, being part of the charity committee has a special significance. Pilgrims cared for his nan, Catherine, during the final months of her life in 2017.

Dylan was just 14 when Catherine died, aged 65, but almost a decade later, he still remembers the hospice and the kindness shown to his family with remarkable warmth.

A very special nan

Catherine played a huge part in Dylan’s childhood.

He spent a great deal of time with her growing up and says she taught him all kinds of practical skills, including cooking, sewing and ironing, things he is still proud to have learned from her.

“She was full of amazing stories,” Dylan says. “I often wish I’d asked her even more.”

After being diagnosed with a serious illness, Catherine took early retirement from her role with Kent County Council. She and her husband, Derek, made the most of their time together, travelling and enjoying experiences while she was still well, including trips to Australia and Singapore.

Although she is no longer here, her memory remains very much part of the family.

In the final months of her life, Catherine was cared for at Pilgrims Hospice Canterbury.  She died in February 2017.

“The nurses took the time to remember everyone’s names and treated us as part of their family,” Dylan says. “They were amazing and so friendly. They helped us to manage our expectations and made such a difficult time a little easier.”

The hospice gave the family space to spend precious time together, including being able to take Catherine’s bed into the garden so they could make final memories together.

Dylan also remembers the family room and conservatory, where they could simply be together away from the clinical environment.

His grandad Derek found his own way of giving something back. He began volunteering in the hospice garden and still talks fondly about the people he met and the support they gave him while his wife was being cared for.

Giving something back

Dylan and his family have continued to remember Catherine by taking part in Pilgrims’ Tree of Love and Sunflower Memories campaigns, as well as supporting fundraising events, including the Pilgrims Hospices annual Cycle Challenge.

Now, through his role at Burgess Hodgson, Dylan is helping to support Pilgrims in another way.

With over 220 staff, Burgess Hodgson has a strong culture of giving back. Each year, staff choose two charities to support, with colleagues getting involved in fundraising challenges and activities throughout the year.

Dylan joined Burgess Hodgson straight from school as an apprentice and is now a member of the firm’s charity committee. He loves his role and the people he works with, describing his colleagues as a “great group” who are friendly and supportive.

For the Burgess Hodgson team, the Charity of the Year partnership provides an opportunity to come together, have some fun and raise vital funds to help support local people and their families living with a terminal illness.

We’re so grateful to Burgess Hodgson and its team for choosing to support Pilgrims – Leila – Pilgrims Hospices

Lloyd Taylor, Associate at Burgess Hodgson, said: “It’s lovely to see our team coming together to support causes that make a real difference in our local community. Knowing how much Pilgrims means to Dylan and his family makes this partnership particularly special, and we’re proud to be helping support the care they provide to local people and their loved ones.”

For Dylan, however, the partnership is particularly meaningful.

He knows first-hand what Pilgrims means to families like his own and how much hospice care extends beyond the person who is ill to everyone around them.

Leila Ilkhan, Corporate and Trusts Partnerships Manager at Pilgrims Hospices, said: “We’re so grateful to Burgess Hodgson and its team for choosing to support Pilgrims. Dylan’s story is a lovely reminder of how the care we provide can stay with families long after a loved one has died. Support from local businesses helps us continue to be there for patients and the people closest to them, making precious time together matter as much as possible.”

Almost ten years after Catherine was cared for at Canterbury Hospice, Dylan still remembers the kindness of the staff and the difference they made to his family.

Now, through his work at Burgess Hodgson and his involvement with the charity committee, he has the opportunity to help other families create their own precious memories, just as his family did with Catherine.

For Dylan, it is a very personal way of remembering his nan and saying thank you.

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.