Making a splash for York appeal

Swimmers are getting ready to take the plunge for our Hospice 2000 Appeal.

The York Big Swim Week runs from Monday to the following Sunday when anyone, regardless of age, is encouraged to raise sponsorship and take to the water in one of York's public pools.

There is a special entry fee of £1 if they show their sponsorship form at the cash desk, and they can complete all their sponsored lengths in one go or spread them out over the week.

There will be special cash prizes for the most successful individual fundraisers - £50 for the top adult and £23 each for the top boy and girl under 16.

All funds raised will be shared between the St Leonard's Hospice Millennium Appeal and the York City Baths Club's swimming development fund.

Sponsorship forms are available from the hospice fundraising centre at 14 York Road, Acomb, the Barbican Centre, and Yearsley and Edmund Wilson Swimming Pools.

York City Baths Club members have been given sponsorship forms and for more information and forms you can contact their chief coach Paddy Garratt on 01904 788427 or Eileen Thompson on 01904 422230.

Janet Morley, fundraising organiser at St Leonard's, said: "Swimmers of all standards will be welcome to help raise funds by getting sponsorship for the Big Swim Week. We hope lots of people will take part and do both themselves and our Millennium Appeal a lot of good."

Artist brushes up for St Leonard's Hospice

by Andrew Hitchon

Memories captured on canvas will go on sale at the end of this month when local artist Robin Gilbert thanks St Leonard's Hospice, York, for the care his wife received there.

All the proceeds from his exhibition and sale of watercolours and prints in Elvington Parish Hall will go to our Hospice 2000 Appeal to raise £2 million so St Leonard's can help even more people in the York area.

Joyce Gilbert died in the hospice earlier this year, after first being diagnosed with cancer in the autumn of 1997 and having an operation that year.

After a relapse last year and further treatment she became a hospice in-patient for the last two months of her life.

Robin, who lives at East Cottingwith, near York, said: "She was surrounded by loving staff all the time she was at St Leonard's and they were able to ensure that she was not in any pain. We found the whole atmosphere very supportive, and indeed spiritually strengthening."

He has painted many local scenes, as well as places he and Joyce visited together, such as the Lake District and Scotland.

Joyce, whose maiden name was Reeves, was born and brought up in New Earswick, and attended Mill Mount Grammar School at the same time as Daphne Wood, one of the original trustees of St Leonard's Hospice.

Daphne said they went youth hostelling in the Lake District and attended school reunions ever since. In addition, when Daphne was chairwoman of the local committee of Macmillan Cancer Relief, Joyce was for many years "an enthusiastic and marvellous vice-chairwoman".

"She is remembered with great affection by all who knew her," Daphne added.

After training as a teacher Joyce Reeves worked at Huntington, Kirkbymoorside and Thirsk primary schools. After her children grew up she returned to teaching at Clifton Preparatory School in York.

Head teacher of Easingwold School for 23 years, has Robin painted most of his life, but it was only after retiring in 1981 that he took a foundation course at York College of Art and began to paint more seriously.

He is also an accomplished musician and he is organising a memorial concert in Sutton on Derwent Parish Church on Friday, November 26, which will be exactly six months after Joyce's death. The collection will again be for the hospice.

The art exhibition and sale is from 10am to 4.30pm on Saturday, October 30, and from 2pm to 5pm on Sunday, October 31. Admission is free. There will be a display of the plans for the Hospice Millennium Appeal and an opportunity to give donations.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.