Pilgrims Hospices blooms to victory with Best Float at Hythe Venetian Fête
A glowing sunflower, buzzing bees and a whole lot of community spirit helped Pilgrims Hospices celebrate a memorable evening at this year’s Hythe Venetian Fête, where the charity was crowned Best Float 2026.
What started as a simple sketch on paper has become one of the most talked-about entries in Hythe’s historic floating procession, delighting thousands of spectators lining the Royal Military Canal.
The award-winning float was the brainchild of Louise Newman, Community Fundraising Manager for Pilgrims Hospices in Ashford, who first dreamed up the idea after attending the fête two years ago.
“After seeing the incredible floats and the wonderful atmosphere, I remember thinking how amazing it would be if Pilgrims Hospices could be part of it one day,” said Lou. “To go from that first little sketch to winning Best Float is just incredible.”
Inspired by Pilgrims Hospices’ beautiful hospice gardens, Lou created a vibrant sunflower-themed float celebrating everything the charity stands for: compassion, hope, and helping families make the most of every moment.
The sunflowers also carried a particularly special meaning for Pilgrims Hospices. As a familiar symbol of remembrance, they reflect the charity’s annual In Memory events, where families and friends come together to remember loved ones and celebrate the lives they shared. The illuminated sunflowers on the float offered a colourful reminder that while someone may no longer be with us, their memory continues to shine brightly.
Alongside the sunflowers, cheerful bees and colourful garden scenes reflected the peaceful spaces so many patients and loved ones know across Pilgrims’ hospices.
The float came to life thanks to the generosity, creativity and hard work of volunteers, staff and supporters from across the Ashford community. Volunteer John joined Lou on the canal early on the day to help build the float, ready for the evening procession.
Even the weather couldn’t dampen spirits.
After torrential rain threatened proceedings, the clouds cleared just in time for the parade, with sunshine returning as beautifully decorated floats glided along the canal to huge applause from packed banks.
“It was such a special evening,” Lou added. “Seeing families, supporters, volunteers and local residents cheering us on reminded us exactly why community events like this matter. Pilgrims Hospices belongs to the people of east Kent, and this felt like a celebration of everyone who supports us.”
Every year, Pilgrims Hospices must raise millions of pounds to provide compassionate end-of-life care and support for thousands of patients and families across east Kent. Community fundraising events, volunteers, and local supporters help ensure that care remains free for everyone who needs it.
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Rachael Fagg, Community Fundraising Officer at Pilgrims Hospices, said:
“This wasn’t just about winning an award, it was about raising awareness of the care Pilgrims Hospices provides every day. The response from the crowd was amazing, and we hope our sunflower float reminded people that their support helps local families receive comfort, dignity and expert care when they need it most.”
Pilgrims Hospices would like to thank everyone who helped bring the float to life, the Hythe Venetian Fête committee and volunteers for organising another spectacular community event, and everyone who cheered on the sunflower float along the canal.
Because when east Kent comes together, wonderful things happen.
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.
7th August 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.
26th March 2026
Fundraising together, caring together
Thank you for a record breaking year and here’s to 2026!
As we move into spring, we’re looking back with huge gratitude at what you our incredible supporters helped to achieve.
It’s been an extraordinary period for Pilgrims Hospices fundraising, and the impact of those funds is already being felt by patients and families across east Kent.
Every event, every step, every pedal, and every donation helps to ensure specialist hospice care is there when people need it most. Behind the fundraising totals are stories of love, remembrance, community and people coming together to honour someone special, give back for care received or to just take part and enjoy a fantastic Pilgrims event experience.
Walking and cycling challenges remained at the heart of the Pilgrims calendar. Supporters celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Cycle Challenge, marking the milestone by surpassing the previous year’s fundraising total and raising the highest total to date of £157,500.
Then came a truly historic moment: the Pilgrims Way Challenge raised £197,000, the largest amount ever raised by a single Pilgrims event. A phenomenal achievement by everyone who walked, volunteered, supported and donated.
There was thrill-seeking too, with brave supporters taking part in skydives and wing walks, while runners represented Pilgrims in the London and Brighton Marathons, alongside 10Ks, half marathons and races across the region.
2026 began in style with our ever-popular Christmas Tree Recycling scheme. The scheme raised an incredible £84,000, a staggering fundraising total made possible by our wonderful local community, dedicated staff and volunteers, and local businesses who brought their teams, vans and a positive can do attitude to make the event happen.
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Fundraising magic also thrives in everyday community life.
Across east Kent, supporters organised:
Bake sales, quiz nights and coffee mornings
Garden parties and sponsored walks
Pub events and wheelie bin races
Supermarket and community collections
Sports matches, concerts and workplace events
Together, these efforts help Pilgrims provide compassionate care in people’s homes, in our hospices in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford, and via our 24-hour advice line.
Your support helps manage pain and symptoms, supports families emotionally and practically, and ensures no one faces life-limiting illness alone.
Your energy, kindness and generosity mean that when local families need us most, we can be there – with comfort, dignity and heart.
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.
24th March 2026
Ashford Freemasons donate £5,000 to support new patient call system at Pilgrims Hospices
Pilgrims Hospice Ashford has received a generous £5,000 donation from local Freemasons to help fund a new nurses’ call system for patients receiving hospice care.
The donation was made possible through a joint effort by five Ashford-based lodges, each of which pledged £500 towards the appeal:
Ashford Lodge No. 8954
South Kent Lodge No. 4303
St George Bahrain Lodge No. 7389
Stour Lodge No. 2305
Lodge of Loyalty No. 9494
Their combined contribution was then matched by the Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons Charity (CEKFC), bringing the total donation to £5,000.
Derek Warner, South Kent Lodge; Chic Cameron, Castle Lodge; Clive Hallett, St George Bahrain Lodge; Martin Kemp, Hospice Services Manager; Eric Dodd, Stour Lodge; Paul Goodwin, Ashford Lodge; Peter West, CEKFC Secretary; and Vickie, Healthcare Assistant
The grant has helped Pilgrims Hospices fund the purchase and installation of a new Medi Care automated patient alert system, part of a wider investment of more than £13,000. The system enables patients to call for assistance from various points within the building, supporting comfort, reassurance and patient safety, while helping clinical teams respond quickly when needed.
The fundraising initiative was coordinated by Paul Goodwin of Ashford Lodge, who brought the lodges together and submitted the successful matched funding application to CEKFC.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Ashford Freemasons lodges and the Cornwallis East Kent Freemasons Charity for this generous donation.
“The nurses’ call system is a vital part of the care we provide every day, and this support will help us continue to create a safe, responsive and compassionate environment for our patients and their families.”
Freemasons from the participating lodges raised their individual donations through a range of social and fundraising activities, including a Burns night, raffles, BBQs, quizzes, lunches and ladies’ nights, reflecting a shared commitment to supporting hospice care in their local community.
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 February 2026
Furley Page solicitors raise £30,000 for Pilgrims Hospices in their 300th year!
Local solicitor firm, Furley Page celebrated a very special milestone in 2025 – their 300th anniversary. Each year, the team choose a charity to support as part of a charity of the year partnership, and for 2025, Pilgrims Hospices was their choice.
The law firm has a rich history dating back to 1725 and is one of the oldest legal practices in the world. To mark the celebrations, colleagues from across the firm committed to various fundraising events, including associate Rosie Eastwood and solicitor Tom Swann who climbed the National Three Peaks in 24 hours, raising £4,160. Other activities included a Dragon Boat Race, the Canterbury 10-mile race, the Whitstable 10k, Furley Fest, a beach clean-up and volunteering in the Pilgrims charity shop, Store 50 in Canterbury.
The Pilgrims Charity Golf Day, which takes place at Canterbury Golf Club in September, was also supported by Furley Page as headline sponsor. Their flags and banners were visible across the fairway, and colleagues entered a team to the event.
Jeremy Licence, Furley Page’s managing partner, said: “This has been an extraordinary year for Furley Page. We are so pleased to have shared our celebrations across the community and I’m very proud of our fundraising efforts for Pilgrims Hospices, an extremely worthy cause,”
The year of celebrations culminated at the Gulbenkian in Canterbury with a premiere of a short film showing the firm’s history, titled “Furley Page: 300 Years and Counting.’
Leila Ilkhan, Corporate and Trusts Partnerships Manager at Pilgrims, said:
“We are incredibly grateful to Furley Page for this wonderful donation. It was a proud moment to accept the cheque from Aaron Spencer [Partner and Head of Private Client and Chair of the Furley Page Foundation] and to explain how their support will impact hundreds of patients and their families who receive support from the hospice.”
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.
29th January 2026
Local family-run hairdressing business raise over £100k for Pilgrims Hospices
Each year, Steven James Hairdressing in Canterbury and Faversham hold a Christmas raffle in aid of Pilgrims Hospices.
With a range of prizes on offer to win, it is always eagerly anticipated by their customers, and everyone gets into the festive spirit.
2025 was a bumper year, and the team raised £5,735 for Pilgrims, bringing their fundraising total to date to £102,521.
Steven Flower, who runs the hair salon on Castle Street, Canterbury said:
“Our association with Pilgrims began more than 40 years ago when a family friend was admitted. The love and care he received was outstanding, as was the support shown to his family.”
The prizes on offer include restaurant meals, the use of a brand-new car for the weekend, as well as donation of an iPad by one generous customer, and much more.
Tickets are always on sale in the barbers, run by Jason, the salon, run by Steven on Castle Street, Canterbury and the salon in Faversham, which is run by James.
Steven James Hairdressing has had a long presence in the Canterbury and Faversham business community.
The dynasty began in 1908 with Henry Flower, who opened up a barbers in Palace Street, Canterbury. Historically, Henry’s wife became established as the first female barber in the country, and after having two sons, Ernest and Bertram, the business expanded, with each opening up their own shops in Canterbury.
Five generations of hairdressers have worked at the helm of the salons, including Jim, who followed in his father’s footsteps in 1962, opening up his own shop in 1985, naming it Steven James after his two sons, who now own the Canterbury and Faversham shops respectively.
Leila Ilkhan, Corporate and Trusts Partnerships Manager at Pilgrims, said:
“We are so proud to have the support of Steven James Hairdressing who have been part of the hospice for almost as long as we have opened our doors. Thank you to Steven, James, Jim and Jason and to all of their wonderful customers who each year raise this incredible sum of money for the hospice.”
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.
