Hospice to benefit from thousands raised by cheese auction

Cheese lovers at the Great Yorkshire Show have raised more than £5,000 for Herriot Hospice Homecare to go towards providing vital hospice care across parts of rural North Yorkshire.

An auction is held every year in the Cheese and Dairy Section of the Great Yorkshire Show, giving visitors the chance to bid for a round of their favourite cheese. Once judging has taken place, it is over to the public to place their highest bid to be in with a chance of taking home some of the country’s finest cheese.

This year’s auction, along with proceeds from a sale of Show cheese by Wensleydale Creamery, has raised a total of £5,203.40. The funds will go to Herriot Hospice Homecare to deliver hospice care across the Hambleton and Richmondshire districts, as well as the charity’s new hospice, Herriot Hospice@The Lambert, which is being developed in Thirsk to provide care for people living with terminal illness and bereavement.

Charles Mills, show director, said: “As a charity ourselves, we are proud to be able to donate this amount of money to Herriot Hospice Homecare whose new facility in Thirsk will be such a fantastic support to local families. A big thank you to Great Yorkshire Show visitors for their generosity.”

Chief Steward of the Great Yorkshire Show’s Cheese and Dairy Section, Caroline Bell from Shepherds Purse Cheeses said: “What Herriot Hospice Homecare offers is so important to families in rural North Yorkshire, who by dint of geography would otherwise have real difficulties accessing invaluable care. As a family, we have experienced their fantastic support during our most difficult time and so it means a great deal to be able to contribute towards the charity’s work, thanks to Great Yorkshire Show visitors.”

Caroline’s late-mum Judy Bell, who Caroline has succeeded as the Great Yorkshire Show’s Chief Cheese and Dairy Steward, benefited from the charity’s care. Caroline, her sister Katie, the Shepherds Purse team and friends, are now gearing up to raise even more funds for Herriot Hospice Homecare when they embark on a sponsored challenge to complete the Yorkshire Three Peaks this month.

Herriot Hospice Homecare provides support for the complex challenges of living with a terminal illness, as well as practical, spiritual and emotional support for family, friends and carers, and specialist emotional wellbeing and bereavement support.

Tony Collins, Herriot Hospice Homecare’s Chief Executive said: “We were delighted to be the beneficiaries of this year’s Great Yorkshire Show cheese and dairy auction, and would like to say a huge thank you to Caroline, Shepherds Purse Cheeses and Wensleydale Creamery for their fantastic support.

“The £5,000 raised will allow us to increase the care Herriot Hospice provides across Hambleton and Richmondshire, including via our Herriot Hospice@The Lambert hub in Thirsk, which opens its doors later this year. We’d also like to thank the Great Yorkshire Show and Yorkshire Agricultural Society, who are longstanding supporters of our family of services.”

The dates for next year’s Great Yorkshire Show are Tuesday 9 July to Friday 12 July 2024 and tickets will go on sale in November.