Why Penny is taking on our firewalk this March
04 March 2026 | View all news
Penny has signed up for our new firewalk challenge – walking barefoot across hot coals – in memory of her best friend, Lynn Ecclestone, and to support our hospice team who cared for her.
“We were there for everything in each other’s lives for 50 years,” said Penny. “She wasn’t just my best friend, she was family.”
Why Lynn chose hospice care
As Lynn’s health declined and treatments stopped helping, Penny and Lynn’s family encouraged her to reach out to us.
“When she went to Katharine House, she said straight away, ‘I’m not dying at home.’ She wanted to be there,” Penny shared.
From the moment Lynn arrived, Penny says they knew they had made the right decision.
“We got on with the staff straight away. There was laughter, even on the hardest days. That meant everything to us.”
A hospice blessing
One of the most meaningful moments arranged by our team was a wedding blessing for Lynn’s daughter, Jade, and her partner, Joe.
“It meant she could see that special day happen,” Penny said. “That’s something we’ll always be grateful for.”
Tracy Riley, one of the nurses who supported Lynn, said: “Helping families create memories – like the wedding blessing – is at the heart of hospice care.
“It was a privilege to care for Lynn. She was extremely graceful and beautiful, and her family’s love for her was clear to everyone.”
Lynn died at our hospice in March 2025.
Fundraising in Lynn’s memory
In the months that followed, Penny and Lynn’s family channelled their grief into fundraising, organising an event that raised more than £17,000.
Now, one year on, Penny is taking on our new firewalk challenge.
“I remember seeing firewalks as a child and thinking they looked amazing,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to try one, and this way I get to support the hospice too.”
Join the firewalk
The firewalk will take place at Stafford Rangers Football Club from 7 to 9.30 pm on Friday, 27 March. Places cost £25, with a booking deadline of 3 pm on Friday, 20 March.
Spectators can attend for free and the evening will include fire jugglers and refreshments.
“They gave us laughter on the hardest days”
Penny says our hospice will always hold a special place in her heart.
“They gave Lynn dignity. They gave us support. They gave us laughter in our darkest days,” she said. “Other families will need that too.”
We rely on donations and fundraising to provide specialist care for people living with an incurable illness, along with emotional and practical support for their families across the community.
Penny hopes others will join her – whether walking across the coals or cheering from the sidelines – so more families can receive the same care Lynn did.
