80th birthday of our Patron, Rev Dr John Smith MBE.
On Wednesday 26th August, the Cransley Hospice Trust team came together to celebrate a very special milestone, the 80th birthday of our Patron, Rev Dr John Smith MBE.
To celebrate John and the incredible difference he has made to so many lives, including our own, we wanted to show him just how much his kindness, dedication and support have meant to the people and community around him throughout the years.
After lots of thought and planning, we decided there was no better way to do this than through the memories of those who know and love him. We invited members of our community through social media to share a special message or treasured memory, creating a collection of 365 notes, one for John to open every day for a whole year.
Filled with messages of love, kindness and gratitude, the notes were carefully placed into a jar and presented to John on his birthday, a whole year of wonderful memories to look back on.
Another special gift that took John on a trip down memory lane was a rather enormous pair of knitted socks! While the socks may have raised a few smiles, there was a very special story behind them.
It all started with a sock. During John’s time working as a consultant, he would often be given donations from members of the local community to support patients receiving palliative and end of life care on the Cransley ward. John would keep these donations ‘safely’ tucked away in a sock in his desk drawer, ready to be used when they were needed most. That’s why a sock became the inspiration for a very special birthday gift, lovingly knitted by our Volunteer Co-ordinator, Ros Gardener. We hope this brought a wonderful piece of Cransley history back to life.
The gifts were warmly received, and an afternoon was spent together filled with smiles, laughter, cake, Nosecco and treasured memories.
A very happy 80th birthday to John, and thank you for everything you have done, and continue to do, for Cransley and the people in our community. 80 years of making moments that truly matter.