Family raise £37K in memory of late wife and mother

A family from Fife is being celebrated after managing to raise £37,000 to support a hospice in the Kingdom.

William Braisby and his two sons put on a fundraiser at Glen Pavillion in memory of his wife Lynne, after being touched by the care she received and the support given to his entire family by Fife Health Charity. 

The final figure included a significant contribution from the Mary Leishman Foundation, with Lynne and Mary having been close friends for many years.

Lynne had three grandchildren and the family decided to fundraise after seeing the kindness and compassion shown to them before and after she had passed away.

She passed away in Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline in December 2022 aged 63.

And each of her grandchildren were given a cuddly toy by the palliative care team before she died, smaller versions were kept with Lynne after she died.

Called 'continuing bonds', this is what her family were fundraising for. Their money will continue to provide cuddly toys for children who lose family members.

And their efforts were so successful it has bought a cuddle bed, which allows patients to have a loved one remain with them and lie next to them while in the hospice.

The Braisby family said: “We were grateful for the support both Lynne and the family received from the Hospice team throughout what was an extremely difficult period.

“The memory soft toys the children received were such a touching gesture of support that we felt that it was an appropriate area of fundraising. With the superb support from friends and family and generous donations received the event exceeded well beyond our wildest expectations thus enabling us to additionally support the purchase of a cuddle bed.”

Fife Health Charity aims to improve the wellbeing of the people of Fife through funding projects and initiatives that are not normally funded by the NHS. 

Director of Fife Health Charity, Mark McGeachie, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Mrs Braisby’s family and want to offer our most heartfelt thanks for their fundraising efforts.

“The specialist palliative care team, like all healthcare services in Fife, work to provide a high standard of care to patients, and to support their loved ones through often the most difficult of times.

“Donations such as this enables to Fife Health Charity to support those on the frontline, helping to enhance the care offered to patients and families through the funding of projects like Continuing Bonds that benefit the people of Fife.”