Freightliner fundraiser gives hospice £500 boost

We’ve been given a £500 boost thanks to some nimble-fingered knitting and the support of one of the UK’s largest rail freight transportation companies.

Train Service Controller Karen Gyte and her mum Di Donald have been busy knitting woolly hats to sell to Karen’s Freightliner colleagues all around the country, raising £250, which the company has now generously match funded as a donation to St John’s Hospice in Balby.

Karen said: “Mum and I started knitting to raise funds for St John’s after they cared so well for my dad Roy at the end of his life in 2012. We’ve raised thousands of pounds since then, through knitting hats, scarves, and toys for every occasion – even the King’s Coronation!

“We’ve also sold tickets for Hospice raffles and Easter hampers and were delighted when Freightliner agreed to donate £1,000 to St John’s as one of its employee chosen charities in 2022.”

She added: “Mum and I work well as a team, and mum’s partner Les also helps out by looking out for wool for sale online, and even creating pom poms!

“As well as thanking both of them, I’d like to pay tribute to my colleagues and everyone at Freightliner for supporting me and my chosen charity.”

St John’s Hospice Fundraising Manager Jenny Baynham said: “A massive thank you to Karen and Di for continuing to give us so much support with their beautiful crafts and fundraising assistance, it’s also been wonderful to meet her colleagues at Freightliner to say thank you to them for helping raise so much money for St John’s Hospice.”

She added: “It’s great to see companies caring so much for their local community charities.”