Pedal power and generous bids give St Michael’s Hospice a helping hand

The Sussex Exchange was spurred into action following last month’s devastating fire.

The team organised the auction on Saturday, August 15, donatingthe spacious conference facility premises and a sumptuous buffet to encourage residents to come along to raise funds for the repairs.

Elie Fakhoury, owner of the Sussex Exchange, said: “The support we received from businesses and people was simply incredible.

“Due to their help the event was a huge success. Their generosity and support means so much to us at the Sussex Exchange but even more to the patients and residents of St Michael’s Hospice.”

The evening consisted of the auction as the main event with a game of ‘heads & tails’ plus a raffle, with all the prizes donated by local people.

More than £5,100 was raised in total, thanks to people’s generosity.

Auctioneer, and owner of thebestof Hastings, Ian Noble, who was also host for the evening, said: “It’s been fabulous to see so many people pull together to make the evening the success that it was, and an absolute privilege to be able to help in some small way.”

Marcia Dart, the hospice’s fundraising team leader, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Elie Fakhoury, Emma Trouse and the rest of the staff at the Sussex Exchange for all their hard work in putting together such a wonderful auction in aid of the hospice. We would like to congratulate them on their fantastic achievement and thank them for raising such an amazing amount of money.”

Since last month’s fire the community across 1066 Country has rallied round the hospice.

Nine-year-old Alice Harris, of Bulverhythe Road, St Leonards, raised £200 for the charity after having nine inches of her hair cut off.

Peter Hooper, 30, from Bexhill, is also pedalling from Land’s End to John O’Groats on Friday, September 18 in aid of the hospice.

He said: “I’m going to try and do the 866-mile journey non-stop. I’ll have a support team with me, as well as my friends, Daniel Henchy, who works with the UK’s Paralymppic cycling team and Robin Thompson, a Bexhill firefighter and cyclist. I planned this event before the fire but since it took place it’s made me more determined to help the hospice. My father died there and there are a lot of people close to me who’ve been helped by the hospice.”

If anyone would like to support Peter in his fundraising efforts they can log onto Facebook at Facebook or visit Just Giving

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