George Raises £410 With Handmade Model Lorry Raffle

A model lorry, a heartfelt raffle, £410 raised in memory of Kate

A creative fundraising tribute from George Connell

When supporter George Connell set out to give something back to Saint Catherine’s, he did it in a very special, hands-on way.

George, a local lorry driver, carefully made a scale model of a local haulier’s truck. He then held a raffle using a 40-square card, each square sold for £10, with the winning square chosen at random (and the winning name was “Daisy”). Thanks to generous local support and an extra £10 added on top, the raffle raised £410.

The donation was presented to the hospice by George’s partner, Laura. The model, and the money raised, were given in memory of Laura’s mum, Kate Upton, who received care at Saint Catherine’s at the end of last year.

Louise Gravestock from Fundraising said;

“Supporter George Connell is a lorry driver and he made a model of a lorry and sold squares for £10 each to win the model (names of cats randomly!!!) – winning name ‘Daisy’ — he actually raised £410 as there was an extra tenner on top. His partner Laura came up and gave it to me yesterday.”

Laura has also received support from our counselling service and the family have expressed their deep appreciation for the care and ongoing support they received from the hospice team.

Pictures and behind-the-scenes

We were delighted to receive photos showing the real lorry that inspired the model and images of the model during production — they capture the skill and care George put into the build. (Images below.)

Thank you!

We are incredibly grateful to George, Laura and everyone who bought a square in the raffle. Thoughtful, personal fundraising like this makes a real difference both in the practical support it provides and in the way it keeps memories alive.

If you’d like to learn more about fundraising in memory of a loved one or to support our services contact the fundraising team:

📞 Call 01723 351421

📧 Email fundraising@saintcatherines.org.uk