Interact Derby donate £10,000 to hospice in memory of much-loved founding member

Our Interact Derby branch has donated £10,000 to local charity Treetops Hospice in memory of Patrick (Paddy) Harkins. Paddy was instrumental in establishing the Derby branch of Interact to become the largest of 24 branches in the UK.

Last year, Paddy received end-of-life nursing care at home from the Treetops Hospice nurses. Paddy’s daughters, Kate and Hannah explained the difference this made:

“During September last year, we found ourselves in a position no-one wants to be in. We were nursing our Dad as he neared the end of his life.

“He told us he wasn’t afraid of dying. He just wanted to be at peace, at home and without pain.  As his two daughters, we knew we would honour this but never knew just how difficult it would be.”

Paddy’s family contacted Treetops for support.

“After many conversations, along came the Treetops Roaming Nurse Team.  Registered Nurse Lisa and her colleague arrived, bursting with smiles and energy.  Dad greeted her with open arms.  Our phone calls to the team were always met with positivity and never “we can’t get to you”.

“Having the Roaming Nurse Team meant that everything was just that little bit more settled for Dad.  He was so stoic; we could see his pain but knowing he didn’t have to do this in a hospital was just so important.  The team provided much needed respite over a couple of nights, allowing us to get some sleep.

“We, as a whole family, will always be grateful for the little spark of positivity and assurance when the Treetops nurses arrived to support Dad.  The Roaming Nurse Service is incredibly important, and we hope will remain for many years to come.

“Interact was a passion of Dad’s. He was very modest with how much he grew the Derby Branch. We were astonished at the donation of £10,000, but in a very bittersweet way, it honours Dad’s memory to a tee.

“He will be smiling down knowing that his battle may have been painful and short, but this donation will help many more people in a difficult situation.”

Phil Cooper, Branch Chair from Derby Interact presented the cheque. He said:

“The choice of Treetops Hospice as our charity for this year was a unanimous one amongst our members, the majority of whom were either longstanding friends or business associates of Paddy.

“On behalf of Interact, I would like to thank Treetops for their much-appreciated support to Paddy and his family.”

Paddy was also successful in leading the growth of the Interact Derby Annual Christmas Lunch, generally regarded at the best event in the Construction and Property professional’s calendar across the Midlands region.

For further information about Treetops services visit www.treetops.org.uk or call 0115 949 6944.

This year, Treetops Hospice is celebrating 40 years of caring for people and their families in the local community. During this time, the hospice has  supported thousands of patients with end-of-life nursing care and bereavement counselling.