Woman of Rochdale 2023 raises £15,700 for Springhill Hospice

L-R: Springhill Hospice CEO Samantha Wells, Sarah Fitchett (last year’s winner), Jenny Kennedy (this year's winner), Lesley Mort (chair of the board of trustees, and now Mayoress Margaret Holly

This year's Woman of Rochdale event raised over £15,700 for Springhill Hospice.

Hundreds of women from across the borough were in attendance on 28 April, to hear the inspiring testimonials of others and watch the new Woman of Rochdale receive her award.

Many of the attendees had incredible examples of contributions to their community, but Jenny Kennedy was deemed worthy of this year's title.

The day was a roaring success; with a raffle, beauty bags, and a silent auction all bringing in donations for Springhill Hospice, raising an amazing grand total of £15,735.10, all thanks to the generosity of those in attendance.

Jenny received over 50 nominations for this year’s award, a staggering amount and a true reflection of her character.

One nomination stated, “Jenny is the most dedicated, hard-working, selfless and compassionate lady I have ever had the privilege to meet.”

A youth worker in Heywood for over 30 years, Jenny has gained the love and respect of the young people in her local area.

She works tirelessly every day to help others; from tenants moving into new homes, to organising memorial services for the community, including the recent tragedy of a local teenager who was killed. She supported the family constantly and organised a memorial service to allow young adults and the family to grieve together, which was attended by over 500 people.

She is also a part of the Restoring Hope charity; an organisation to support the local community by holding fundraising events.

Additionally, Jenny set up a community pantry which offers food to locals at a reduced amount to help with the cost of living crisis, with up to 45 people attending every Saturday afternoon.