St Christopher’s are delighted that our Vice President and one of Britain’s most-loved actors Dame Sheila Hancock will be appearing at a fundraising event for the hospice next month.
An Evening with Dame Sheila Hancock will take place on Tuesday 12 November from 6pm in the Auditorium at Dulwich College, Dulwich Common, London.
Dame Sheila, 91, has been involved with St Christopher’s for more than five decades after befriending the hospice’s founder, Dame Cicely Saunders, who pioneered the modern hospice movement. Dame Sheila’s first husband, Alec Ross, died at home under the support of St Christopher’s hospice in 1971.
An Evening with Dame Sheila Hancock will begin with Dame Sheila speaking candidly on stage to St Christopher’s Vice Chair of Trustees Eleanor Brown and reflecting on her life and extensive career as well as talking about her ninth decade before taking questions from the audience.
After the event Dame Sheila will be signing copies of her latest book “Old Rage” which will be available for purchase.
Dame Sheila Hancock says: “I am delighted to be able to help St Christopher’s in this way as hospices face increasing cuts to their funding.
“Dame Cicely Saunders influenced me profoundly, not least in how I dealt with the death of my first husband and I agree with St Christopher’s that end-of-life care should be available to everyone who needs it, no matter who they are or where they live.”
Head of Fundraising at St Christopher’s, Christine Davies, says: “Dame Sheila Hancock is undoubtedly a national treasure and we’re so grateful for her continued support of St Christopher’s and the wider hospice movement which is needed now, more than ever.
“This promises to be a wonderful evening of storytelling from a prestigious career and we’re so excited to invite fans of Dame Sheila to join us.”
For more information or to book tickets please contact Abigail Martin on 020 8768 4575 or email a.martin@stchristophers.org.uk
About Dame Sheila Hancock
Sheila’s extensive career has ranged from the original West End casts of Sweeney Todd, Annie and Sister Act to the BBC sitcom The Rag Trade; from playing Ranyevskaya in The Cherry Orchard at the Royal National Theatre to Celebrity Gogglebox; and from Senna Pod in Carry on Cleo to winning an Olivier Award for her performance as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret. She has most recently appeared in the BBC series The Sixth Commandment, ITV’s Unforgotten and in the title role in the feature film Edie. She is also enjoying a career in presenting including Ch4’s Great Canal Journeys with Gyles Brandreth; as a guest on the BBC Proms presentations this year and last, and curating and presenting an evening as part of the Ryedale Music Festival.
Sheila was also the first woman Artistic Director with the RSC Company’s tour, as well as the first woman to direct in the National’s Olivier Theatre. An accomplished writer, she was awarded Author of the Year for The Two of Us and her latest book, Old Rage, is out in paperback. She is also a monthly columnist for Prospect magazine.
About St Christopher’s
• We were founded by Dame Cicely Saunders, who started the global hospice movement with the opening of St Christopher’s in 1967.
• We are a charity, and we provide care and services free of charge. Though we are partially funded by the NHS, the majority of our running costs are very generously met by public donations. Each year, we need to raise at least £16million.
• Our vision is of a world in which all dying people and those close to them have access to equitable care and support, whenever and wherever they need it.
• Our goal is to help people live well until they die and support those affected by the loss of a friend or relative.
• Each person is unique, so we ask ‘what matters to you?’ and then tailor our care to meet social, emotional and spiritual needs, as well as manage physical symptoms.
• Everyone should have access to the best care at the end of their lives and through a blend of expert practice, education and research we work with people across the world to improve and develop hospice care.
• We usually have over 1,800 people under our care at any one time, and last year we provided care and support to over 5,000 patients and 1,358 carers and 445 children, both at home, out in the community and in the hospice.
• We have over 500 dedicated staff and over 1,000 amazing volunteers.
• You can support the hospice by donating, volunteering or shopping at one of our 24 local high street shops.
• You can find our website by searching “stchristophers.org.uk” online, and we are also on social media – search @StChrisHospice on Twitter and Instagram.
Photo Credit: Neil Spence