Surprise £50,000 donation and special delivery for Children’s Hospice

A £50,000 donation was more than welcome at Huddersfield’s Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice.

But there was also a second surprise when the money was handed over by staff from the HSBC.

For one of the recipients went into labour – and gave birth to a baby boy seven weeks early.

Diane Shorter, a branch manager with the bank, was touring the Brackenhall-based hospice after handing over the huge donation when she went into labour.

Soon after handing over the cheque, Diane, 33 weeks pregnant, went into labour whilst still at the hospice.

Michelle Surrell, development director at the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, said: “HSBC have been fantastic for us all year round and when they came in with a cheque worth £50,000 it really was a fantastic feeling.

“For most people this would be enough excitement for a day, but little did we know what was about to happen with Diane.

“It really was a day I will remember for a long time.”

After briefly being cared for at Russell House by staff from the hospice, Diane was rushed off to Calderdale Royal Hospital where she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy – Charlie.

He weighed in at 4lb 5oz and was delivered seven weeks and two days early.

Charlie enjoyed his first feed from mum on Christmas Day in the Halifax hospital and is now at home in Shipley and doing well.

The HSBC staff were from the Bradford area and had been fundraising throughout the year.

Lisa Milburn, from HSBC, said: “We chose to fundraise for the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice as it is a charity with a fantastic cause at its centre and it truly has been an absolute pleasure working with the charity throughout the past year.

“Handing over the cheque was a fantastic occasion for everyone who has worked so hard to raise this money for Forget Me Not and of course we are all delighted for Diane with the birth of her beautiful baby boy.”

HSBC has purchased a block on the Celebration Wall at Russell House with the donation.

The wall, made up of 374 glass blocks of different shades, offers the opportunity for people to celebrate something that is special in their lives, be it a person, experience, memory or recognising fundraising achievements by a business.