Shropshire philanthropist’s legacy lives on as local centre supports hospice appeal
Nearly 40 years after helping to establish Severn Hospice, the legacy of one of its earliest supporters is helping the hospice with its latest plan to support patients.
Roy Fletcher, a respected Shrewsbury businessman and philanthropist, played a key role in the creation of the county’s first hospice in the 1980s.
And now, more than 30 years after his passing, his support for the hospice has continued with a fundraiser in his name to support the charity’s Pounds for Perry appeal.
The hospice needs to update its oldest ward, Perry, so patients have larger rooms to accommodate them.
The plans include an extension, new roof, a re-wire and a plumbing overhaul.
The whole project will cost just over £3 million, and the £1 million Pounds for Perry appeal was launched to support the scheme.
When staff at the Roy Fletcher Centre (RFC) in Cross Hill learned the ward was in urgent need of renovation, they felt compelled to act.
They have turned the Shrewsbury-based Centre’s lobby into a fundraising zone which includes a raffle, as well as sales of craft items and Severn Hospice pin badges.
“We’ve got some exciting raffle prizes and we’re so thankful to the local businesses who donated them,” said Jenny Taylor, the centre’s chief executive. “Anyone can come into the centre and buy a raffle ticket until 10 September. It’s a real community effort.”
Clare Gregory, Matron at Severn Hospice, said: “We’re so grateful to everyone at the centre for their support. It feels like a meaningful full circle – Mr Fletcher helped get the hospice off the ground over 30 years ago, and now the centre that bears his name is helping us invest in the future of hospice care.”
Libby Cooper, Roy’s daughter and chair of the Roy Fletcher Charitable Trust, said: “My father would be so pleased. His vision is still making a difference to local people.”
A builder by trade, Mr Fletcher played a vital role in setting up the hospice. He researched other hospices, visited them in person, and advised on what would be needed to make the project a success.
Libby added: “It was probably very useful to have someone around who knew about the practical side of running a construction business. And he was modest – he didn’t want attention. He just wanted to help support local people.”
In 1978 Roy established the Roy Fletcher Charitable Trust to help disadvantaged people in Shropshire, and before his passing, he had the opportunity to see the hospice open its doors in 1989 – and named a hospice garden after his late wife.
Roy’s plans extended beyond the trust and supporting the hospice initiative.
He had long spoken about creating a collaborative office space for charities.
That vision became a reality in the mid-1990s when his children and his trust founded the Roy Fletcher Centre, which the voluntary organisations chose to name after him.
Today, the RFC, together with Fletcher House, offers affordable working spaces to charities which might otherwise struggle to find premises.
“It’s more than just an office,” says Libby. “It’s a one-stop hub for a variety of voluntary organisations and an opportunity for collaboration and sharing knowledge between the charities.”
Now, the Centre is continuing his legacy by supporting the hospice’s Pounds for Perry appeal.
