“We had little Irish dancers entertaining everyone, and a singer named Kim Kelly Jo. I was so pleased with the amount of money we raised, but I didn’t stop there!” – Elizabeth Timmons
Elizabeth Timmons has dedicated much of her life to Peace Hospice Care. She was one of the original volunteer fundraisers, raising money through annual Balls and open garden events. She also volunteered at the Peace Hospice Care day care centre for over 25 years, providing support and companionship for patients and their families.
Elizabeth says, “I trained to be a nurse in Pembury hospital, Tunbridge Wells, and as part of my training I had to visit a hospice. I visited one in Hackney and I was so impressed, it really struck a chord with me.
“I finished my training and became a midwife and in 1963 I moved to Watford with my husband and began working as a midwife in Kings Street, just a couple of nights a week. Then in 1968 the maternity ward moved to Watford General Hospital, so I went to work there.
“In 1985 when the Peace Memorial Hospital was closed, it went into such disrepair. Thieves stole the clock, and the windows were broken. But we were clear that the building belonged to the people of Watford, as they were the ones who put it there to commemorate the people who fought in the two World Wars. We were determined that it should be given back to the community in some way.
“Then someone told me that people had started talking about the Memorial Hospital being turned into a hospice, and I said I was on board and would do everything I could to help.
“I knew we would need a lot of money to get the hospice started, so I organised an event at our Maternity Unit at Watford General Hospital. There was a large room in our Maternity Unit so I asked if we could use the room for a fundraising event, and the hospital agreed. I couldn’t believe the crowds who came, it was so well attended! The Watford community really got behind it.
“We had little Irish dancers entertaining everyone, and a singer named Kim Kelly Jo. People donated amazing items for our raffle. There was a lady who gave me baby clothes and I put them into bundles and sold those too. I was so pleased with the amount of money we raised, but I didn’t stop there!
“The next thing I did was to open my own house and garden for tea parties. I ran a plant sale and served tea and homemade cakes in the garden. My husband spent hours getting the garden ready, making it beautiful for people to enjoy. All the neighbors came and it was a great way to make money.
“We founded the Irish and Holyrood Hospice Support Group and we organised an annual Ball in Holyrood, in Watford, which ran for over 25 years – only finishing in 2018. The Irish society in Watford really got behind the hospice.
“When Peace Hospice Care started running day care support in a temporary portacabin in 1993, it was then that I started volunteering and I only stopped when Covid came. I did half a day a week and got to know all the patients. I would read poetry to them and tell them jokes. It’s so important to sit with someone and have a chat and a laugh, hold their hand and provide companionship, as being ill can be so very isolating.
“When the IPU Unit was opened in 2001, it was lovely to see all the shiny floors and the beautiful gardens that the volunteer gardeners had worked so hard on. One of my friend’s sons developed motor neuron disease and went into the Inpatient Unit at Peace Hospice. He had such beautiful care there which made all the difference to him and his wife.
“I was there right from the start, so Peace Hospice Care has a special place in my heart. I feel honoured that I have been able to contribute to such an amazing organisation which still delivers fantastic care today. “