On Tuesday 24 February 2026, the Worshipful Master of Trinity Lodge 5651, Bruce Robbins, accompanied by his wife, Angela, presented a cheque to the fundraising Tara Farren and Eileen Smith, who runs the annual Willow Wood flower show. The funds were raised at the Trinity Lodge Ladies’ Evening earlier in the month.

Bruce and Angela’s decision to choose Willow Wood as the recipient of the funds raised on the evening was influenced by two people who were missing from their table this year. Don Roberts, who for many years was the primary organiser of this event, had passed away a few weeks earlier. Even before the WM had become a member of the lodge, Bruce and Angela had attended the event as Don’s guests for many years. The WM and his wife’s guests for this year’s Ladies’ Evening included Angela’s mother and her brother, John. The sorely missed guest was Angela’s father, David Ball, who had died some months earlier. Both Don and David had been in Willow Wood Hospice in the days leading up to their deaths. Both Don and David’s families were immensely appreciative of the work that all of the staff and volunteers at Willow Wood do, and of the support, help, and assistance they provide to end-of-life patients. So it is no surprise that  Willow Wood was chosen as the recipient of the charitable funds raised at this year’s Ladies’ Evening.

The WM and his wife had also invited Gordon Greenwood and Eileen Smith to join them at this year’s Ladies’ Evening. Eileen is a volunteer at Willow Wood. She runs their annual Flower Festival. As she explains, the event is designed to leverage funds donated to the Festival. Like many of the events run by volunteers at Willow Wood, such as the Fashion Show and the Annual Ball, the aim is many-fold. Aside from providing volunteers with an opportunity to raise more funds by attracting members of the public, it is a showcase for the Hospice’s work. It generates not just donations but also volunteers; it is a great opportunity to publicise the work of the Hospice to an audience beyond those who have been affected by having a loved one benefit from the end-of-life care they provide. Raising money alone is not enough for a volunteer-run, self-funded institute; it also needs to attract volunteers, for they are the lifeblood of the organisation. This is the 10th Year of the flower festival, which to date has raised £69,000+ over 9 years (2015, with a 2-year break for Covid). Average takings have increased every year from £5,000 in 2015 to £10,000 last year.