A lens on love: local photographer raises £13,300 for Thames Hospice

Thames Hospice is delighted to celebrate another incredible fundraising achievement by local photographer and long-standing supporter Phil Laybourne, whose latest fundraising efforts have raised a remarkable £13,300 in support of hospice care. Over the course of his fundraising projects, Phil has now raised more than £23,000 for the Hospice.

Phil’s fundraising journey is deeply personal. After his wife Gail was cared for by Thames Hospice in 2020, Phil channelled his love of photography into a series of charity projects to support the Hospice that meant so much to his family.

In 2025, Phil launched his latest initiative; a stunning 2026 nature and wildlife calendar, sponsored by Pegasus Homes, ensuring that every £15 from each calendar sold went directly to Thames Hospice. The calendar features six local landscape images and six local wildlife photographs, all captured by Phil.

Alongside calendar sales, Phil took his photography on the road, delivering a series of engaging and inspirational talks at Pegasus Homes communities across the UK, sharing the stories behind his images through slideshows and commentary. These well-attended events helped raise both vital funds and awareness of Thames Hospice’s work.

The final roadshow of 2025 took place at Pegasus Homes, Wooburn Bales, where over 30 residents gathered to celebrate Phil’s work. The event was attended by Dr Rachael de Caux, CEO of Thames Hospice, Steph Peters, Head of Marketing, alongside Steve Bangs, CEO of Pegasus Homes, and members of his team.

Phil Laybourne said: “Following the death of my wife Gail at Thames Hospice in May 2020, I embarked on a fundraising project to bring in much-needed funds for an incredible organisation. I launched a charity calendar of local landscape photos in 2021 with the aim of raising £2,000 and raised £10,000 in just three months.

“Following on from this, in February 2025 I embarked on another calendar project, fully sponsored by the very generous support of Pegasus Homes. The 2026 calendar went on sale on 25 July, and by 25 December I had raised an incredible £13,300, all of which will go to the Hospice.

My most grateful thanks go to Colourpoint Litho, Teetree Group, Miles Jackson and Lisa Page for all their help with the calendar production. I also can’t thank Steph Peters, Amie Carter, Hannah Parsons and the whole team at Thames Hospice enough for their support throughout this project.”

Steph Peters, Head of Marketing and Communications at Thames Hospice, added: “Phil’s commitment to Thames Hospice is truly extraordinary. What began as a deeply personal act of thanks has grown into an inspiring fundraising journey that has touched so many people. Through his photography, storytelling, and generosity, together with the incredible support of his corporate partners, including Pegasus Homes, Phil has helped raise vital funds and awareness for hospice care.

“We are enormously grateful to Phil and everyone involved, whose support helps ensure that compassionate hospice care continues to be available to local families when they need it most. We look forward to our continuing partnership and to seeing what his next project will bring!”

Steve Bangs, CEO at Pegasus Homes, said: “We’re so incredibly proud of Phil’s fantastic achievement in creating this wonderful calendar and using his passion for photography to raise such a significant amount of money for a cause close to his heart.

“We were thrilled to support him, connecting him with residents across Pegasus Homes communities. The nationwide support truly highlights the excellence of his photography and the strong community spirit within the entire Pegasus Homes network."