Barnsley friends are making festive masks to raise £10,000 for hospice

Two friends are on target to raise £10,000 in a mammoth mask-making fundraiser for Barnsley Hospice.
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Janet Mellor, of Pilley, and Jocelyn Feetham, of Pogmoor, have made more than 1,800 masks since they started sewing in March and have already raised over £7,000.

They have made a new festive range to raise more money

Janet, a seamstress, said: “We started to make masks at the beginning of the first lockdown and set out to make £300 for the hospice but sales have gone wild so we’ve now decided to set ourselves the new target of £10,000.”

Jocelyn Feetham and Janet Mellor with some of their handmade festive masks sold in aid of Barnsley HospiceJocelyn Feetham and Janet Mellor with some of their handmade festive masks sold in aid of Barnsley Hospice
Jocelyn Feetham and Janet Mellor with some of their handmade festive masks sold in aid of Barnsley Hospice
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Janet and Jocelyn are raising money in memory of their friend Teresa’s daughter, Jill Mullet, who received respite care at Barnsley Hospice while she waited for a double lung transplant.

When Jill finally had a transplant, after seven years on the list, the lungs were sadly rejected and she died in April last year, aged 52.

Janet said: “We are making the masks in Jill’s memory. She was fortunate to have spent some time at the hospice and was looked after with such care and dignity.

"Teresa can’t thank the hospice enough for taking care of her daughter.”

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Janet and Jocelyn bring years of experience to their task. Janet, aged 64, worked as a machinist from the age of 15 until her retirement at H Booth and Sons, SR Gents, the Barnsley Hat Company and Supersuits.

Jocelyn, aged 58, is a podiatrist and a keen quilt maker. She’ll turn scraps from mask-making into a 2020 memory quilt for the hospice, too.

The pair bought textiles from Serendipity fabric shop in Birdwell and Oh Sew Sweet in Wombwell and received fabric remnants from family and friends.

Janet said: “We couldn’t have raised the amount we have without the support of family and friends including all those who’ve taken our masks to sell in their workplaces, shops and cafes.”

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The masks are on sale at Tinker’s Café, the Well Chemist, Allotment Deli and Health Centre in Hoyland, Teapot Café and Sam’s hairdressers in GiIroyd, Pilley post office, Wortley golf club and Penistone British Legion Club.

They are priced £4 and all profits go to charity. They have donated £6,000 to the hospice and £1,000 to this year’s Poppy Appeal.

Hospice community fundraising manager Vicky Stead said: “It has just been amazing what Janet and Jocelyn have achieved this year.

"They brought us £1,000, then another £1,000, then another. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work and hope they sell all their Christmas range of masks, too.”

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The charity needs to raise more than £2m each year to fund patient care and support for families. A further £1.6m is provided by the NHS.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.

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