LIVING each day of life
Lady Runcie, founder patron and Joint President of Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice Care, will be sorely missed by her local hospice, not just because of the thousands of pounds she raised but above all because she embodied the spirit of our hospice. She lived life every day and packed life to the full.
Clearly she was devoted to her family, to time with a wide circle of friends, to her work helping many young music students through exams, but still she put a huge amount of time into supporting Iain Rennie Grove House too, especially the Robert Runcie Day Hospice which is at the heart of the hospice. It was Lord Runcie who spearheaded the fundraising to build Grove House and after he sadly died, Lady Runcie took up the mantle, because she cared deeply about local people with cancer and other serious illness being supported through day hospice and hospice at home so they could get the best out of life.
Lindy brought her unbelievable energy to her hospice support and persuaded her family and friends to come along too, including Alan Titchmarsh and Tim Rice to speak at her large fundraising dinners.
Perhaps her most memorable fundraising was a dinner at Lambeth Palace that became a big reunion of family and friends at her former home at Lambeth Palace. Of course in true Lady Runcie style, she didn't just turn up at the dinner she made every detail happen. She spent months preparing, starting with a trip to Lambeth Palace, shouting at the satnav as we drove down because she knew much a better route through the London traffic than any computer (and she was right of course). She sensitively and skillfully broached the topic with Archbishop and Lady Williams and they warmly opened their home to her so that the dinner started with a reception in the library among some of the world's most precious documents, even though it was really off limits for events.
On the day, Lindy was there for hours personally preparing the simple but neatly presented salmon sandwich nibbles for over 100, and seeing that everything was in place for her friends and hospice supporters, from Lords and Ladies to local Hertfordshire friends who enjoyed this exclusive occasion in amazing surroundings. She sparkled that evening, revelled in the reunion but never lost sight of her goal to raise thousands for Grove House hospice, right down to shouting at the bank
some days later so they waived the charges on the $1,000 cheque from a US friend so that the maximum donation went into hospice care. Then the next day she was up early teaching her next piano student before writing personally to thank those who donated! Unbelievable energy and drive.
Many local people who have benefited from Iain Rennie Grove House Hospice care won't necessarily know how much of our care she made possible because she never boasted about it, she just got on with it.
Our thoughts and deepest sypmathies are with Lindy's family. She will be sorely missed and leave a huge energetic hole in many people's lives. In grieving though we also have wonderful memories to celebrate and a wonderful role model for living life to the full. Thank you Lindy.