Kelvin and Joy’s story is intertwined with much joy, some real sadness and heartbreak, but one of true love that always continued despite everything that happened between them.
Kelvin and Joy in New Zealand, February 1992
Joy and I were married for 25 years, before separating for a time. We always remained close and Joy always knew that I would be there for her if she ever needed me. I knew her so well having been together for nearly 28 years, and I never stopped loving her.
In the early part of 2008, Joy became quite ill, but despite several appointments with her GP, it wasn’t until she had blood tests in mid-2008 that she was eventually diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia. From this point onwards, we once more became husband and wife in all but name, and I was with her every step of the way on her very brave fight against this dreadful disease until sadly she passed away at the Pilgrims Hospice in Ashford in the early hours of Saturday 19 December 2009.
I will always be so grateful to the Pilgrims Hospice for the wonderful care that they gave to Joy in her final few days and for all the support they gave to Joy’s family and friends at this time. It also remains very special to me to this very day that on the morning Joy passed away, the hospice had arranged for me to stay overnight with her and that I could be with her during her final few hours before she sadly passed away. The compassion that the hospice staff showed to me will remain with me for the rest of my life.
Although it is now over 16 years since Joy passed away, I still miss her every day and treasure the love that we shared together over so many years.
Kelvin Joy 4
Kelvin Joy 3
Kelvin Joy 2
Kelvin Joy 1
Kelvin and Joy through the years
The hospice was there for us when we needed them most, and it is for this reason I continue to support them in a number of ways today via the Memory Tree, Sunflower Memories and Trees of Love. For me, leaving a gift in my Will to Pilgrims Hospices is a further way to say thank you to them in Joy’s memory so that others may receive the same wonderful care and support that she did.
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.
13th February 2026
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.
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.
24th February 2025
Our hospice story
Pilgrims Hospices has been at the heart of the east Kent community since the Canterbury hospice opened in 1982.
The hospices were the vision of one local nurse, the late Ann Robertson, founder and Pilgrims’ Lifetime President. Ann wanted to make a difference for the people in her community facing terminal illness, following her own experience caring for her husband. Thanks to her devotion, and the help of countless others, today we have almost 200 clinical staff. Together, they support thousands of people each year.
The first hospice opened in Canterbury in 1982, followed by Thanet in 1992, and Ashford in 2001.
Our Hospice Story 5
Our Hospice Story 1
Our Hospice Story 4
Our Hospice Story 2
Our Hospice Story 3
It is a great privilege to have worked with so many forward thinking and talented individuals over the years; in the early years we faced the day to day headache of meeting our financial needs. As the years have passed, we’ve established relationships not only with our generous public but with the business community, who help us to raise the profile of our charity and engage with the wider community.
We remain the welcoming face that will guide people through some of the most difficult times, the support of the community fills our hearts with great joy as we continue our journey to help even more people each year.
Ann, speaking at our 40th birthday party in 2022
Helen Bennett, Chief Executive Officer, with Ann Robertson at Pilgrims Hospices’ 40th birthday party in 2022
The staff at the hospices are truly community heroes, with more than 3,000 people within their care each year. Over the years, Pilgrims has pioneered ground-breaking research in palliative care, embraced innovative, cutting-edge technology to improve the quality of life for patients, and delivers education and training across east Kent for many other health and social care providers.
Pilgrims continues to grow from strength to strength, and in order to provide the much-needed care, our clinical staff are supported by an award-winning charity fundraising team, an established network of profitable retail shops, a successful local lottery, and a wealth of talents through its invaluable volunteer workforce.
From the very beginning, patients have been at the heart of everything Pilgrims do, and we will only continue to grow and develop with the help of the community.
Help us continue our story and be here for anyone who needs us, for generations to come with a gift in your Will.
See the impact your legacy will have on the thousands of people and their families we care for, now and in the future.
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.
17th February 2025
Pilgrims proud to join hospices across England, Scotland and Wales to protect the future of hospice care
We’re proud to announce the launch of the “This is Hospice Care” campaign, a ground breaking collaboration between 143 hospices across England, Scotland, and Wales, brought together by Hospice UK.
It’s finality and uncertainty, brave faces and shedding tears. It’s short days and long nights. Living for now with the weight of tomorrow.
But it’s also love and life and celebration. It’s care at home, and in a hospice, care for those dying and for those around them. It’s going the extra mile, doing away with convention and remembering what really matters. It’s easing pain and bringing comfort, cherishing memories and creating new ones. Part of the community, part of our story, part of us.
It’s allowing anyone, anywhere, to embrace the life we have left.
This is the legacy of hospice care. But we need it to be your legacy too.
Just as this incredible support would not exist without hospices across the UK, hospice care would not exist without you. A gift in your Will helps ensure care at the end of life is here for everyone who needs it, both now and in the future. It’s ours to protect.
Help hospice care live on for all, for now, forever.
Hospices like ours are at the very heart of communities, offering compassionate care and support when we need it most. For many of us, a hospice will touch our lives, whether for ourselves, a loved one, or a friend, providing comfort, dignity, and expert care through life’s most challenging times.
But just as this incredible support wouldn’t exist without hospices across the UK, hospice care wouldn’t exist without you.
We rely heavily on charitable donations to keep our doors open.
That’s why we’ve come together to shine a light on the essential role hospices play in our communities and protect our futures.
We’re asking everyone to consider leaving a gift in their Will to Pilgrims Hospices. By doing so, you can help us continue to provide this vital care, ensuring that everyone has the support they need for generations to come.
Together, we can make surethat hospice care lives on for all, for now, forever.
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.
