A hospice in Mapperley has received an eye-watering £47,000 from a decade of charity curry lunches which have become a hot favourite with local food fans.
Anna Burrows raised the cash by organising the twice-yearly curry lunches for more than 10 years.
She was inspired to put on the events after witnessing how Nottinghamshire Hospice’s Hospice at Home nurses cared for her mother in her final weeks of life.
Anna’s mother Cecilia Freyne died in 2004 after the bladder cancer she’d been treated for spread to her womb. Support from Nottinghamshire Hospice enabled her to achieve her wish of dying at home with family around her.
Anna, who puts on the events at Nottingham’s Laguna Tandoori restaurant, said: “She wanted to die in her own bed in her own home with her family around her looking out at the dahlias in her garden. It meant such a lot to her and to the whole family that she got her wish.
“It was a difficult time for our family as my father had Alzheimer’s when my mother was dying. I don’t know what we would have done without the support from the hospice. That’s why I started fundraising to help this great local charity.”
Each curry lunch caters for around 110 diners at just £25 per head for a three-course meal including a complementary glass of wine, coffee and mints.
Guests can also take part in a ‘heads and tails’ auction and raffle to raise funds for the hospice.
Tony Verma, owner at Laguna, says: “We at the Laguna appreciate all that Anna has done to raise money for Nottinghamshire Hospice and we are proud to be associated with her endeavours. We hope this relationship continues for many years to come and hopefully raises lots more money!”
Her next event is planned for Sunday, December 2 at 1pm.
Gemma Taylor-Mahon, Community Fundraiser at Nottinghamshire Hospice, says: “Anna’s generosity and dedication for over ten years now has been outstanding.
It highlights how the Nottinghamshire Hospice makes a significant difference to people’s lives. The astonishing amount of money Anna has raised is a testament to her hard work and ability to host a brilliantly successful event. We are incredibly grateful for her continued support.”
