On the 23rd of January the Forum welcomed its guest speaker Charlene Graham, a fundraiser from the Sue Ryder organisation whose particular interest is the Wheatfields Hospice in Headingley.     

Charlene began by relating the history of the building which was established in 1859 as a family home called Wheatfield Lodge. During and after the Second World War it housed various government and military organisations until it became a hospice in 1978 under the wing of the Sue Ryder organisation.  Charlene described the various building projects which have brought the building into its present form although not without some setbacks. In 1996 the building was damaged by a flood caused by a burst water main whose repair cost £100,000 which was raised by a charity appeal. This appeal also enabled a new therapy unit to be constructed.     

Charlene went on to describe the work of the hospice which houses 18 in-patients, and also provides day care, for people over the age of 80 who are referred by their GP or the local hospital.  

Forum members then asked questions about the work of the hospice before Chairman Mike Earle proposed a vote of thanks.