St Gemma's Hospice Leeds: Meet the woman who has spent the last 15 years making hampers for charity

Lena McHugh began supporting St Gemma’s Hospice after her parents were diagnosed with cancer. In 2008, she made the decision to give back to charity and chose St Gemma’s Hospice.

She began pulling together food and drink items to create hampers that could then be raffled off to families and raise money for the hospice through the raffle ticket sales. While she only made three in her first year, she now makes up to 31 hampers every year.

Lena said: “I had just heard so many lovely, lovely things about St Gemma's from lots of different people. We also had a very close family friend who passed away there, she was looked after beautifully.”

Both of Lena’s parents recovered, but Lena said many don’t and families need support going through “what must be the most difficult time in their lives.”

Lena added: “I've never imagined how quickly it's grown.”

The 31 hampers are used throughout the year by the hospice at events and during the Christmas and New Year period. Last year, the hampers raised £6,680 for St Gemma’s Hospice.

Lena said that maintaining a job in finance, juggling a young family and making these hampers is not easy but it is something she wants to continue long-term and is looking for more people to get involved.

She added: “Our home often looks like a mini supermarket for a month. However, I wouldn’t change it as it’s a real team effort as my children help with organising the food and my husband delivers all hampers to St Gemma’s to save on costs to the hospice.”

Cash donations as well as food and drinks items are welcome, providing items have an expiration date of at least mid-January 2024, and annual contributors are encouraged. Contact Lena McHugh via email at [email protected] for more information.