A NURSE and a creative therapist will undertake a sponsored silence to raise money for the hospice where they treat terminally-ill patients.

Collete Parker and Susie White will go into the hospice, in Herringston Road, Dorch-ester, on their day off to complete the eight-hour challenge.

Mrs Parker, a nurse, said: “We’re two of the noisiest members of staff so I think it’s something people won’t expect us to be able to do.

“We will not communicate with people at all for the whole shift, even by writing, and another staff member will adjudicate to make sure we don’t cheat.”

Mrs White, 54, has a personal reason to support the hospice.

The creative therapist said: “I lost my mum there in January.

“In the worst time of my life the hospice was there and somehow made it more bearable because of the care and love and attention they gave.”

The fundraiser is part of the Weldmar Hospicecare Trust’s Go for Gold campaign, which is backed by the Dorset Echo and challenges people to set themselves a personal goal in return for sponsorship.

Anyone raising more than £50 will be invited to an awards ceremony in October.

The campaign has so far seen people pledge to paraglide, free dive and swim to raise money for the various services offered by the charity, which helps to care for people with debilitating long-term illnesses.

Mrs Parker, 51, said: “Until I started working at the hospice I didn’t realise how many forms of cancer there are.

“You see what it does to people, those who suffer from it and their relatives, and it’s quite devastating.

“Little children come in and know that mum is not going home.”

Mrs White added: “The support from everyone – the nurses, the fundraising team, everyone who works there – is just amazing. I’m so proud to be a part of that.”

Get involved

TO get involved in the Go for Gold campaign, first set yourself a challenge you would like to achieve.

Next, get in touch with Weldmar Hospicecare Trust by calling 01305 261800, visiting www.weld-hospice.org.uk/goforgold or by filling out the form, linked below, and sending it to Matt Smith, Weldmar Hospicecare Trust, Joseph Weld Hospice, Herringston Road, Dorchester, DT1 2SL.

Click the link to fill in your form

Go For Gold.pdf