FRIENDS are raising money for Prospect Hospice to honour a colleague who died from cancer.

Carole Henshaw, a teaching assistant at Haydonleigh Primary School, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in October last year and died within eight weeks of her diagnosis at the age of 61.

Her co-worker Lisa Fry said: “Her journey was so short. It was dreadfully sad – she left work one day and we just never saw her again. It’s so hard when you just can’t do anything to help someone you care about.”

Lisa wanted to support Prospect Hospice after it helped her grandad and her colleague. She said: “Because she was so close to us all, and it all happened so fast, we didn’t want to delay and decided we’d support Prospect Hospice, who had been so wonderful in the short time she had left.”

“Carole was so happy to be welcomed by the wonderful staff, it visibly lifted her spirit. I’d done the Starlight walk for Prospect before, after my grandad had been in the hospice 20 years ago.

“It’s such a lovely place and the staff are so accommodating and I want everyone who needs it to be able to use it, despite the fact that their normal fund-raising has had to stop in the pandemic.”

Workmates and their families got together and formed a team of 11 called Carole’s Cheerleaders . “Even though the Starlight walk has had to be cancelled this year, we’re going to follow one of the routes used in past years and do it on the same date,” Lisa said.

The hospice postponed the event due to Covid-19, but launched its Thanks a Million campaign to raise £1m after being hit hard by the pandemic. It is starting a 36-hour online fundraiser between April 25 and 26, challenging people to raise as much money as they can. Participants are encouraged to open a page, donate, and then ask their friends to do the same.

Lisa added: “I think the appeal is a great way for the community to come together and help people benefit from the care and consideration that Carole received.”

Visit prospect-hospice.net/fundraising-support-us/thanks-a-million/ for more detail.