'Tireless' jam-maker raises £11k for dementia care

Sue Threadingham sells her home-made jams and chutneys to raise money

A former nurse selling home-made jams and chutneys has raised more than £11,000 for dementia care at Kent hospitals.

Sue Threadingham began fundraising for East Kent Hospitals Charity’s dementia appeal in 2016 after her mother died with the syndrome.

She said she was grateful to staff for the "wonderful" care and support her family received during and after her mother's hospital stays.

Mrs Threadingham, 75, said: "I have worked for the NHS my whole career and I know the best way to change and improve things is to be proactive and so I decided to do just that and fundraise to help make improvements possible."

A spokesperson for the charity said her fundraising had contributed to improving ward environments and buying items to help distract or comfort people living with dementia.

East Kent Hospitals Trust runs the William Harvey, Kent and Canterbury, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Buckland and Royal Victoria Hospitals.

Mrs Threadingham sells the jams and chutneys, as well as produce and crafts, from a stall outside her house in Sellindge, near Ashford, and at fairs and events across Kent.

She paid tribute to the former dementia matron Joy McCue and her successor Jade Garlick at the William Harvey Hospital where she worked before retiring, and where her daughter still works.

'Tireless and passionate fundraiser'

The former nurse added: "I have long Covid, so being in the kitchen making my jams and chutneys has been a lifesaver because I’m not the sort of person who can sit around and do nothing."

Dee Neligan, head of East Kent Hospitals Charity, said: “Sue has been a tireless and passionate fundraiser and is a true inspiration to us all."