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The Gazette is asking people to nominate heroes across the Fylde coast so we can say a Big Thank You to the army of volunteers, medics and other key workers across our towns and cities for their extraordinary selfless service.

Trinity Hospice has many volunteers who give up their time to help others in particularly difficult circumstances and one such hero is Wendy Radcliffe from Thornton who has been volunteering there for the past six years.

Wendy normally works with the patients and their families offering a range of relaxation therapies such as reiki, reflexology and massages, but because of the coronavirus risk to patients and staff there, she has not been in since the lockdown began.

Wendy Radcliffe and Kerry Dewhurst who have been raising money for Trinity Hospice. Wendy, who has been more than running 10K a day and Kerry who has been making face-masks, are pictured with Wendy's husband Paul who was cared for at the hospice before his death last year.

But together with her daughter, Kerry Dewhurst, Wendy has been helping the hospice by fundraising instead.

Wendy herself has made use of Trinity Hospice’s facilities in the past as she had endometrial stromal sarcoma and was treated at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. Her husband Paul, who had Parkinson’s and bowl cancer, was cared for by Trinity last year before his death in August.

As part of her cancer treatment she was offered complementary therapies which she chose to take near her home at Trinity in Bispham.

She said: “Because I had my therapies there and because I do them myself, I thought I would like to do this, so I applied and I have been volunteering ever since. I love it.

Layla and Fletcher Rider model the facemasks which Wendy Radcliffe and Kerry Dewhurst are making to help Trinity Hospice

“You are helping people and you feel you are making a real difference to the people there. Even the doctors say how much relaxation therapies benefit patients. They say they can tell when a patient has had a treatment because they are so relaxed.”

Now Wendy is running 10km a day on a treadmill at her home to raise money for the hospice which has seen all its fund-raising events cancelled by the coronavirus lockdown.

And her daughter Kerry, a professional dressmaker, has been making face-masks and selling them for £2 each to boost hospice funds.

Wendy said: “I am not a keen runner, so I just thought if I do a thing for Trinity it would help me and make me do it. I am doing around 85k a week.

"Kerry was making masks for food banks and care homes at the start, but then we thought we could raise some money for Trinity because we knew they would be struggling for funds after this.”

Heather Rosenberg, volunteer administrator at Trinity Hospice, said: “Our volunteers are a vital part of the Trinity and Brian House team – quite simply we could not manage without them.

“Whether they are based in the hospice; in our shops or are part of our fundraising network they play an invaluable role in keeping hospice care free and available to all those who need it. Wendy is a brilliant example of someone who gives us their time, their talents and their enthusiasm."

Visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/wendy-radcliffe1

The Gazette's campaign to say a Big Thank You our community volunteers can be seen at https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/read-this/why-we-want-say-bigthankyou-and-how-you-can-too-2871109

Fylde coast mum and daughter get a Big Thank You for help raising funds for Trinity Hospice