Hearty Efforts by Biddulph u3a!
Recently members of Biddulph u3a’s Friday Card Making Group officially handed over a massive collection of 279 handmade hearts to the Palliative Care Team of Royal Stoke University Hospital. This recent effort was spearheaded by Linda Hubbert and the hearts were crafted by members of the u3a and their friends and families. Sarah O’Reilly and Donna Kent, both Fund Raising Officers of UHNM visited the group to receive the hearts.
The campaign was launched to support a special appeal by the University Hospitals of North Midlands Charity, which relies on volunteer crafters to supply "Compassion Memory Hearts". These small treasures serve a vital purpose in end-of-life and palliative care. One heart remains with the patient, while its matching partner heart is given to their loved ones to take home.
This small gesture creates a powerful, tangible connection between families and patients when they cannot be by each other's side. The Palliative Care Team at the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust places these matching sets inside memory boxes for grieving relatives.
The Friday Card Making Group has a rich, award-winning history of supporting our local hospital departments. Under the long-standing leadership of Rita Bellwood, the group of ladies has previously raised over £6,000 for vital hospital divisions, including the Acute Stroke Ward (Ward 127), entirely through the group’s monthly raffle and the sale of their beautiful handmade cards. Their tireless fundraising has even earned them the hospital trust's prestigious EPIC Award.
True to the group's traditions, hitting such a milestone is always cause for celebration. Whenever a charity goal is met, the group marks the occasion at Lund House with a little party including cakes and, of course, Susan’s signature corned beef pie!
With Friday's successful handover complete, the hearts are already on their way to bringing solace to families across North Staffordshire. However, the making of the knitted, crocheted and sewn hearts is an ongoing need, so if anyone would like to continue to make these wonderful hearts then please call 07946 479375.
This latest achievement highlights the broader role that Biddulph u3a plays as a vital pillar of the local community. It serves as a cornerstone for those no longer in full-time work, keeping people mentally active, physically engaged, and socially integrated, in an era where combating social isolation can be a major health priority. Groups like Biddulph u3a prove that even when you are not working fulltime this is not a time for slowing down, but an opportunity to forge deep friendships, maybe learn new skills and make lasting contributions to help others.
Anyone who is no longer looking for fulltime work and would like to know more about or would like to join Biddulph u3a then please call 07946479375 or, better still, go onto Biddulph u3a website - biddulph.u3asite.uk where you can see the large variety of group activities available, along with the days and times that they run.
