Made with love: a young fundraiser honouring his grandmother’s memory
“I just feel happy and am glad I can make money for Thames Hospice. It’s a weird feeling to explain, but it’s really nice to know I’m giving something back,” says Martin.
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- Made with love: a young fundraiser honouring his grandmother’s memory
When Bonny died under the care of Thames Hospice in 2017, her family could not have imagined that, years later, her legacy would live on through birdboxes handmade by her grandson.
Now aged 12, Martin has raised £614 for Thames Hospice, with a little help from his parents, Leeann and Doug, by making and selling wooden birdboxes in memory of his nature-loving grandmother. Each birdbox is crafted by the family at home in Maidenhead and sold in return for a donation, combining creativity, teamwork and a cause close to their hearts.
Martin fondly remembers visiting his grandmother when she was a patient at Thames Hospice’s former facility in Windsor, and says he is proud to be doing something that would have meant so much to her.
“I just feel happy and am glad I can make money for Thames Hospice. It’s a weird feeling to explain, but it’s really nice to know I’m giving something back,” says Martin.
His mum, Leeann, agrees the project is a fitting tribute.
“Mum would definitely have approved. She always loved being outside and had such a strong connection to nature and animals.”
Bonny, who lived in Windsor and worked as a nurse, had supported Thames Hospice long before she became ill. Diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) in 2012, she spent years fundraising for the Hospice herself, hosting bake sales and clothes sales, and volunteering as a driver.
The idea for Martin’s fundraising first began with lemonade, before evolving into something more lasting. His dad, Doug, a retired firefighter and keen carpenter, explains how the birdboxes came to life.
“Martin said, ‘What if we made birdboxes?’ I had a small workshop in the garage, some scrap wood from a pallet firm and a box of screws, so that’s how it all started.”
Since coming up with the idea in 2024, the family has worked together to make 75 birdboxes, each engraved with the words ‘Made with love by Martin, Mummy and Daddy’. They ask for a £7 donation, which often becomes £10 when people insist on giving more.
Doug hopes their story encourages others to think creatively about supporting the Hospice.
“Most people don’t realise how easy it is to do something like this. And when everyone’s well, you don’t really think about hospices. It’s like The AA - you don’t think about it until you need it.”
Inspired by the success of the birdboxes, Leeann is now considering using her crocheting skills to raise even more funds, continuing a family tradition of generosity that began long before Bonny became a patient.
For this family, Thames Hospice has been part of their lives for over a decade, first as a cause they supported, then as a place of care, and now as a charity they continue to champion together, building a legacy rooted in love, nature and giving back.
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Our services are free of charge to all those in our community who need vital hospice care but this is only made possible through the charitable support and generosity of our amazing community. We need to raise £39,000 each day to fund our services 365 days a year to the people who need us most.
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