Make a Will Month returns – and it’s all about caring for the future
For 13 years, Make a Will Month has seen local solicitors kindly donate their time for a payment to Pilgrims Hospices, helping people make or update their Wills.
Over that time, the campaign has raised an incredible £234,704 to help Pilgrims continue caring for people facing life-limiting illness.
How does it work?
This April, tick something important off your list, and make a difference in your local community at the same time.
“We are incredibly grateful to the solicitors who give their time each year, ensuring people can access trusted legal advice, while helping Pilgrims be there for families when they need us most.”
– Ellie Cane, Individual Giving Manager
Why write your Will
Having an up to date Will gives peace of mind and protects the people you care about, whilst making it easier for your loved ones to follow your wishes when you’re gone. If you don’t have a valid Will, everything you own will be shared following certain rules, rather than according to your personal wishes.
“After people have made their Will, I find that it gives them peace of mind. They leave the office a lot happier than when they came in. A lot of people find it difficult to talk about death, but they often find the process is a lot easier than they expect.”
– Paula Patton, Partner at Boys & Maughan Solicitors
Many people also choose to leave a gift to charity – a lasting way to reflect the causes that matter most to you. Leaving a gift in your Will to Pilgrims Hospices isn’t required to take part in Make a Will Month, but if you choose to, you can help secure the future of hospice care.
Join us this April
By taking part in Make a Will Month 2026, you will help fund compassionate care for local people facing some of life’s toughest moments.
We are so thankful to everyone who chooses to take part, and to the amazing solicitors who make it possible.
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 February 2026
April’s kind gift in her Will has touched the lives of so many, continuing her legacy of compassion
April was born on April 16, 1934, in Glasgow, Scotland, and passed away on December 16, 2023. She embarked on a remarkable journey in 1958 as a 24-year-old nurse, traveling from Glasgow to Ecuador, marking the beginning of a life filled with overseas adventures.
April
April was known for her practical, no-nonsense demeanour, characterised by thoughtfulness and kindness, which made her an independent woman capable of managing her family while her husband was often away. She was a dedicated nurse, midwife, and later a health visitor, and she volunteered extensively in various charities throughout her life.
April’s adventurous spirit led her to live in diverse places, including Ecuador, Libya, Abu Dhabi, and Aberdeen, adapting to each new environment with resilience and grace.
She was a devoted mother and grandmother, organising her family’s life with efficiency and care. April had a passion for bridge, enjoyed traveling, and was an excellent cook, always ensuring her family was well-fed.
Her life was marked by a strong sense of adventure, a commitment to helping others, and a love for her family. Despite the challenges of dementia in her later years, she remained a cherished figure in her family, remembered for her vibrant and varied life. April’s legacy is one of compassion, adventure, and a steadfast dedication to those she loved.
April didn’t have any direct experience of Pilgrims, however, as a trained nurse, midwife and later a health visitor, she was used to caring for people of all ages, and had some experience of hospices in other areas. After settling in Whitstable in the mid-1990s, she got to know of Pilgrims Hospices as a local charity and chose to support with a gift in her Will.
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.
11th February 2026
Andrew’s story: Love, loss and giving back to Pilgrims
Andrew Gillingham lives in Walmer, and was married to his wife Karen for 13 years.
Pilgrims had been there from the very beginning of their relationship, when his mother-in-law was cared for in the Thanet hospice, dying from oesophageal cancer in 2005.
In 2021, Karen received support from Pilgrims in her home, allowing her final two weeks to be in the place she loved, surrounded by the people she loved.
Karen
Their story is one of countless incredible memories, and of the breadth of care Pilgrims provides: from the home to the hospice, and from the patient to their loved ones.
“Karen was amazing.” Andrew says. “She was outgoing, bubbly and enjoyed walking our dogs in the countryside.”
Her true passion, however, was seeking out adventures a little further from home, loving nothing more than travelling abroad.
“I hadn’t travelled much, not before I met Karen. But just like her, I fell in love with it. For eight years, we travelled twice a year to a whole range of places – it was where all of our money went! But I could never regret it, you can’t put a price on memories.”
“Morocco was her favourite place, we travelled there in 2019 and loved it so much we’d booked to go again the following year. But with Covid restrictions, and Karen’s diagnosis, it was a trip we couldn’t make.”
In October 2020, Karen was diagnosed with lymphoma. She completed her treatment by the next February with the upmost bravery, and was given a 90% chance of recovery. But, her prognosis quickly began to change when her cancer developed into a brain tumour. Just two months later, she deteriorated and became paralysed from the neck down. Her condition was now terminal.
“Originally, I wasn’t allowed in the ambulance with Karen due to the restrictions surrounding coronavirus. But, because of the severity of her condition, we were allowed to travel together to University College London (UCL) Hospital. The very last time we were able to hug one another was in that ambulance.”
Karen spent three months in UCL, before being brought home with the assistance of Pilgrims Hospices in the final two weeks before she died. When she was transferred from the hospital to home, Karen asked: “Are were going on holiday now?”, a heart-warming reminder of the travels they took, so close to her heart.
Andrew remembers: “Karen’s doctors didn’t think she would survive the ambulance journey, let alone the two weeks she had at home. But as soon as she arrived, her spirits were lifted – she was singing, and all sorts!
Our bedroom was moved downstairs, our window to the outside world, and her bubbly, warm nature shone through right until the end. And one of her final requests? A cheeky tipple, a brandy!”
Karen died on 28 June 2021, with care from Pilgrims Andrew described as “nothing short of fantastic.” That care was extended to Karen’s loved ones too, through Pilgrims Stepping Stones Bereavement Support Services. Andrew attended counselling at the Thanet hospice, and joined the Bereavement Walking Groups, where he found comfort in connecting with people who had also lost a loved one.
Now, Andrew supports Pilgrims Hospices in Karen’s memory at the charity’s in memory appeals: Sunflower Memories and Trees of Love.
Andrew and Karen
“It’s my way of giving back so others can receive the same amazing care that we did. Most recently, I attended the Trees of Love service at the Thanet hospice with my step-daughter and granddaughter, so we could honour Karen during the festive season.”
Alongside Andrew’s personal support, his work has also got involved, too! In 2024, AEM Ltd (Ramsgate), one of Europe’s leading overhaul and repair facilities in the aerospace industry, selected Pilgrims Hospices as their Charity of the Year. Their staff fundraised through bake sales, colour runs, competitions and quizzes. Some of the team even took to the skies for an adrenaline-fuelled tandem skydive!
“I couldn’t quite bring myself to jump out of a plane, better them than me! But I was so proud that they chose to support Pilgrims partly in Karen’s memory. Altogether we raised an amazing £10,485.66.”
Before she died, Karen had one request of Andrew. She wanted him to continue going on holiday and to let her memory live on through their love of travel. It was a promise he kept. Andrew and his sister, Kim, travelled to Italy and Greece in 2022.
Andrew and Karen
“It was something I talked through with Sarah, one of Pilgrims counsellors. I wanted to honour Karen’s wishes in continuing to explore the world, but I knew it would be hard without her. Sarah told me that a love of travel was a gift that Karen had given to me. That always stuck with me.”
The following year, they returned to Morocco, staying in the same hotel he and Karen had.
“I needed to run Morocco past my sister first as the hotel was primarily meant for couples! But the staff were so great and remembered me from before. It was painful to go back without Karen, but I’m so glad I did. It was wonderful to share that with my sister, too, as like me, she hadn’t travelled much either.”
Five years on, Andrew says “I can’t say how much I miss Karen, I just can’t believe. It really does feel like no time has passed.”
“I want to share our story because I’m just so proud of my Karen. We spent many incredible years together full of unforgettable memories, but it was never quite long enough.”
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.
2nd February 2026
A legacy in colour: Thanet artist donates his life’s work to Pilgrims Hospices
Local artist Carl Stafford has pledged to leave his entire collection of paintings to Pilgrims Hospices in his Will, creating a lasting legacy that will help protect hospice care for people across east Kent.
Carl’s father
When we visited Carl at his gallery-style home in Ramsgate, every wall was alive with colour and surrealist imagination.
Speaking in his gentle Brummy accent, the 61-year-old father of two daughters and grandfather of five shared how his lifelong passion for art – and his personal experience of hospice care – inspired his decision.
Carl’s father was cared for by a hospice many years ago, and the experience has stayed with him.
“The care was just exemplary,” Carl recalls.
“Nothing was too much trouble, and they made the end of his life comfortable and free from pain. They even organised a wedding for him and his long-term partner, which made the end of his life so special for him and those closest to him.
That sparked something within me that made me realise supporting special places such as hospices was really important. This is Hospice Care at its very best.”
Carl’s art is full of expression and dreamlike imagery, influenced by Salvador Dalí, René Magritte and Max Ernst, among others. Through his legacy, he hopes his creative life’s work will help future generations to experience the same compassion, dignity and support that meant so much to his family.
Carl Stafford Art 6
Carl Stafford Art 5
Carl Stafford Art 4
Carl Stafford Art 3
Carl Stafford Art 2
Carl Stafford Art 1
“I’m a very positive person, and by making this legacy, I hope it will help many people in the future to take comfort and support from Pilgrims Hospices,” he said. “I’ve always been inspired by my father, who was a very fine artist. I still treasure a painting he created for me back in the 1970s. I take great pleasure in the thought that my own work will live on and continue to make a difference.”
Carl working in his studio
Carl also draws inspiration from his local area. Living close to where Vincent Van Gogh once stayed and worked in Ramsgate gives him a special connection to art history and his community.
By choosing to leave his body of work to Pilgrims Hospices, Carl is ensuring that his love of art will continue to support others, helping protect the future of hospice care for generations to come.
Securing hospice care for future generations
Pilgrims Hospices care for an estimated 30% of the people who die in east Kent each year, providing free, specialist end-of-life care in their inpatient units in Canterbury, Thanet and Ashford, as well as in people’s own homes. This compassionate, holistic support for patients and families is what hospice care truly means.
Ellie Cane, Individual Giving Manager at Pilgrims Hospices, said:
“We’re so grateful to Carl for his incredible generosity. Every gift in a Will, large or small, helps us to be there for patients and families when they need us most. Carl’s story shows the very special ways people can leave a legacy of care for their community, protecting hospice care for future generations.”
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.
3rd October 2025
Norman and Christine’s story: “Pilgrims is always there if you need them”
Norman Sole from Walmer experienced Pilgrims Hospices’ care when his wife, Christine, was cared for by the charity.
Inspired by the kindness they were shown by Pilgrims, Norman and his family wanted to give back so that others can benefit from the same compassionate care.
Their story shows how Pilgrims continue to look after families into bereavement, often playing a very special role in their lives as they navigate their grief.
Norman and Christine were married for 57 years and had two children, Mike and Jeannie. Christine worked as a telephonist before marrying Norman. They had a plant nursery until they retired; Christine picked tomatoes in the large greenhouses. She loved gardening, knitting, her pet cats, and line dancing.
Christine Sole With Her Daughter Jeanette 1
Norman And Christine Sole 4
Christine Sole 4
Christine Sole With Son Mike 1
Norman And Christine Sole 5
Norman And Christine Sole 2
Christine Sole 8
Norman And Christine Sole 7
Norman And Christine Sole 1
Christine Sole 3
Later in life, Christine was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer; initially cured by chemotherapy, it sadly returned and became terminal. Whilst in hospital, a doctor asked Christine if she wanted to be referred to the hospice.
Mike and Jeannie said:
“Mum was hospitalised, with the aim being to fit a stent in her throat. She went in expecting to come home. Unfortunately, the procedure didn’t work, so palliative care became the only option. She went downhill very quickly.
“They moved Mum to a private room, and the next day someone from the palliative care team came and asked if she’d like to go into the hospice. We all agreed that this would be for the best.”
Christine
Christine spent five days in the Thanet hospice; she died on 6 August 2023, aged 81.
Norman said:
“A friend had been in the Canterbury hospice several years prior, and I’d visited them there, but that had been my only experience until Christine was referred.
“The hospital was very noisy, people come and go all the time; Christine kept saying, “I wish it was quieter in here.” In hospital, we were always doing things for her because the staff were so busy, they didn’t have time, so we were trying to think about what she wanted.
“Once we went into the hospice, it was instantly calm, a completely different atmosphere. It was like someone had taken the responsibility of care from us, so that we could look after ourselves and be a family. We didn’t expect anything, but the hospice team anticipated our needs, and made us feel part of the wider Pilgrims family.”
Jeannie agreed: “Pilgrims caters incredibly well for families. It was my birthday whilst Mum was in the hospice; she mentioned it to the hospice staff, and they brought me a cake with a candle, and a birthday card! It’s those little things that really make a big difference.
Christine with one of her beloved cats
“I also felt much calmer in the hospice. As a family, we wouldn’t all usually spend a week together like that; it sounds weird, but after Mum died, I missed us having lunch together every day, walking around the gardens, getting a coffee. We never felt like we shouldn’t be there, like we were in the way, or that we should leave if we’d been there all day. I missed that when it was over, it was a very special time.
“It’s one of those things you hope you never have to go through, but it couldn’t have been a better experience.”
Mike added:
“All the staff were lovely. We felt the nursing staff really cared, and that Mum wasn’t just another patient. The focus in the hospice is different; when Mum was in hospital, they were trying to make her better. But once we knew she was at the end of life, and we’d had a few days to adjust, our mindset shifted – it became about keeping Mum comfortable for the time she had left.”
To say thank you for the care they received, Norman and his family now support Pilgrims in many ways, including taking part in annual remembrance events like Sunflower Memories and Trees of Love. Mike also completed the Folkestone Downs Challenge with his daughter, Eleanor, and his wife, Helen, volunteers at the Canterbury hospice with patients who attend wellbeing groups.
Most recently, Norman decided to grow sunflowers in his garden after attending Sunflower Memories. He entered Walmer in Bloom for the first time in 2025, and his sunflowers won first prize in the Best Garden Display category.
Norman with his children, Mike and Jeannie, and his award-winning sunflowersNorman at the Walmer in Bloom award ceremony
Norman received the letter telling him he’d won on 6 August 2025, the two-year anniversary of Christine’s death:
“It made a very sad day a little bit happier. I got into growing sunflowers after we attended the Sunflower Memories event to celebrate Christine’s life, so winning the Walmer in Bloom award was extra special.”
Norman attended an award presentation at Walmer Castle, where he received a certificate, and he donated his prize money to Pilgrims.
Mike added:
“Pilgrims support families even after their loved one has died, which is really positive. It’s so nice that they’ve kept in touch with Dad; he enjoys keeping up to date with hospice news and events. The little things we’re able to do, like supporting the remembrance events in memory of Mum, allows us to give back, so that other people can benefit like we did.”
Norman agreed:
“Pilgrims don’t just fade away, they’re always there if you need them.”
Each year, Pilgrims Hospices care for thousands of people across east Kent, with services provided from its three hospice sites in Ashford, Canterbury, and Thanet, as well as in patients’ own homes. It costs over £17.2 million annually to run these services, much of which comes from the generous support of the local community.
22nd September 2025
Trees of Love: Jade’s story
Jade remembers her nan, Viv, and her mother and father-in-law through Pilgrims Hospices’ Trees of Love campaign, after they all received care from the charity in 2024.
Jade’s grandparents
My nan, Viv, was the heart of our family – a devoted wife to my Grandad Bill; a loving mum to Melissa and Alister, and a proud nan to myself, Grace and Jacob. She made every birthday special with homemade cakes, and every holiday memorable, whether it was a trip to Menorca or a week at Butlins.
Nan was a teaching assistant at a local school for over 30 years, and was so generous with her time to students and colleagues – always with kind words and on standby for a cuddle. She put her teaching knowledge to good use each evening when watching her favourite quiz shows, The Chase and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire!
When Nan was diagnosed with cancer, we required an extra helping hand at home. All of ours and Nan’s fears were put to ease when we were introduced to Pilgrims. She felt so comfortable, and at peace, with the Hospice at Home team. They managed to make her smile and giggle when some days felt darker than others.
My Grandad suffered a stroke in 2022, which left him bed-bound, and Nan’s nurses made sure that their beds were pushed together so they could fall asleep holding hands, just like they used to. It was those little things that brought a lot of comfort to them, and to us as a family. It was lovely to discover that she had been supporting Pilgrims with a monthly donation for many years, even before she needed their support.
Jade with her grandparents
Pilgrims’ care extended to us all; I received bereavement counselling to help me process my loss after Nan passed in September 2024.
From the reception volunteers to the counsellor I worked with, everyone was so unbelievably kind. It was when I was waiting for one of the sessions that I saw the leaflet for Trees of Love, and I knew I wanted to dedicate a dove in memory of my nan and for my mum and father-in-law who also sadly passed that year, with support from Pilgrims in their final days.
Participating in Trees of Love helped make our first Christmas without our loved ones feel that little bit more special. The service was so calming, which reminded me of my nan, and it was such a comfort to see our doves lit up on the tree.
Our family will forever be grateful to Pilgrims Hospices for everything; supporting such a great cause at such a special time of year makes it that extra bit more meaningful.
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.
