Great Lever woman with cancer raises £5k for Bolton Hospice 

Marcelle Hesketh has bowel cancer, with the disease having spread to her lungs, liver and spleen. 

On July 2, she turned 57.

Her sister, Kellie McGarry, asked if she wanted a big party for her birthday.

Kellie said: “It would be a last one. And she’s not really one for attention.” 

But Marcelle had a special birthday wish. 

Kellie says: “All she really wanted to do is raise some money for Bolton Hospice. 

“She’s been doing arts and crafts there every Wednesday for over a year. 

“She just wanted to present them with one of those giant cheques.” 

Marcelle Hesketh; A 57 sign at her birthday party/fundraiser (Image: Kellie McGarry)

Kellie, of Westhoughton, set about giving Marcelle a fundraiser birthday to remember.  

Raffle tickets were planned and Bolton musicians the Jam’d and Leah Ward performed along with Liverpool comedian Jack Ryan.  

Kellie was floored by Bolton’s response.  

She said: “Local businessmen who were my friends rallied around, they sponsored the event, paid for the artist and the entertainment so that every penny from tickets could go into the [Bolton Hospice] fund. 

“Bolton Wanderers F.C. stepped in and allowed us to have the party in the stadium’s 1877 suite.”  

Marcelle Hesketh and husband Sean Hesketh holding up Bolton Hospice cheque; band performing at her birthday at Bolton Wanderer's F.C 1877 suite; Bolton sign at stadium (Image: Kellie McGarry)

A total of 160 guests attended and hundreds contributed by buying raffle tickets or donating prizes. The event raised £5,100 for Bolton Hospice.  

Marcelle was too ill to come to her birthday. But she presented the cheque in a special hospital bed in her living room. 

Kellie said: “It’s so humbling how the community came together to support our family.  

“It just shows how we can band together and make something amazing happen when needed.

“My mum had eight children and she’s already lost three, one of them was Marcelle’s twin brother Royce [Stuart] who was stabbed to death  at 27.   

"Our family support Bolton Hospice anyway. We’ve lost an uncle who was in there some years ago."

Marcelle and her sister have launched a separate appeal for it.

Bolton Hospice runs on private donations and government contributions via the NHS.

Last year, it lost funding with a £1.2m deficit forecast for 2024. This threatened to cut a third of its beds.

To give to Marcelle’s appeal visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/kellie-mcgarry-1719413682470?utm_medium