Emelia and Max Godley raise almost £2,000 for the hospice

Max and Emelia Godley

Brother and sister Emelia and Max Godley have raised almost £2,000 for the hospice in memory of their much-loved Grandma who spent her final days being cared for at Springhill Hospice.

Emelia, 11, and her brother Max, nine, have put their heart and soul into helping the hospice to thank staff for the loving way they looked after their Grandma, Mavis Smith, who died from cancer around three years ago.

Their proud mum, 46-year-old Bev Godley, said: “Sadly, she passed away at the age of 72 as a result of lung cancer which had also spread to her brain.

“The two children were very close to her as she spent lots of time helping to look after them, so to say thanks to the hospice for the care it gave her they’ve dedicated themselves to raising as much money as they can.

“Over past few years we reckon they’ve easily raised a couple of thousand pounds from the various things they’ve done.

“They help out at the fairs the hospice holds every spring and Christmas and enjoy working on the toy stall.

“The Christmas before last Emelia sold her collection of about 30 teddy bears at the hospice fair and raised a few hundred pounds.

“At the Christmas fair just gone she went right round the area near the hospice selling raffle tickets and was very successful.”

Emelia and Max have also donned their running shoes to take part in Springhill’s Santa Dash or Dawdle which is staged each winter and sees hundreds of Santas running, walking, pram pushing or dog walking around Hollingworth Lake.

Last year they both completed the course in respectable times – plucky Emelia despite suffering from tonsilitis - and raised a very creditable £600 in sponsorship cash between them.

Their mum Bev said: “Their dad Stuart and I are immensely proud of them both for the help they give to the hospice. Everything they do is on their own initiative and I think it helps the hospice quite a bit.

“I know their Grandma would be very proud of them too.”

Emelia said: “We do all we can to raise money for the hospice because our Grandma was looked after very well there. Max and I loved her very much. We also have lots of fun when we are helping out at the fairs or doing things like the Santa Dash.

Max said: “It’s very important that people are looked after when they are very poorly like our Grandma who I loved very much. I like all the things we do to raise money because it’s good fun.

Lillie Winterbottom, community fundraiser for Springhill Hospice, said: “It is also vitally important to the hospice to have the support of younger people, which is why we are so grateful for everything which Emelia and Max Godley do for Springhill.

“They have always got some scheme in mind to raise money for the hospice and whatever they decide to do, they always put their heart into the fundraising.”