Margaret Elizabeth Lumley
Hospice Supporter, Volunteer and Amateur Potter
Margaret was a lifetime supporter of Alice House Hospice, becoming involved from the very beginning and volunteering in a variety of ways.
As a neighbour of the Hospice when it was based in Hutton Avenue, she was well placed to help out. Margaret volunteered in areas of publicity, fundraising and communications and she would create and print the first hospice newsletters, arrange fundraising events and over the years attended every AGM.
When Margaret started teaching in 1957 she filled her evenings with various leisure classes at the College of Art & Design. It was pottery that attracted Margaret most and she continued with it until long after she had retired.
From early beginnings she perfected her skills on techniques – coiled pots, slab pots, use of moulds, turning pots on the wheel as well as decorating the pots with incised patterns, coloured glazes etc. Learning how to stock pots in the kiln and ‘finishing’ them when they came out. Margaret gained an A Level in Pottery in the 1960’s and much later several practical exams.
Over the years Margaret gave gifts of her pots to her friends but on her death many pots remained. These have been donated to Alice House Hospice to raise funds in support of its work. Some examples are on display and available to buy for a donation in Alice House reception and also at the Christmas Fayre on 23rd November.
In later years, after retirement, Margaret was a founding member of the Hospice Friends Group. She attended the quarterly group meeting to give feedback and insight from a supporter’s perspective.
As a lifelong Regular Giver, Margaret’s monthly generosity contributed to the ongoing running costs of hospice care and her generosity has continued with a final gift in her Will. Thank you Margaret!
“It is a good charity which helps local people with terminal illness”
Margaret Lumley, March 2016