Firewalk
Walk the fire and light the way for local families. Our next Firewalk date will be announced soon, join our mailing list to keep updated.
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. “Lynn wasn’t just my best friend, she was family.”
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.”

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.
Katharine House gave Lynn dignity. They gave us support. They gave us laughter in our darkest days. Other families will need that too.Penny Jarvis

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.”
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.
As a charity, 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.
Walk the fire and light the way for local families. Our next Firewalk date will be announced soon, join our mailing list to keep updated.