Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I’d like to tell you a little about Lucy and about Trinity. 

My dear cousin Lucy passed away peacefully at Royal Trinity Hospice, London, in June 2017. 

Lucy was really an aunt to me, and my closest relative after my mother. Besides being a fun, generous, interesting and interested person for everyone who was fortunate enough to meet her, Lucy was a supportive, encouraging and inspiring aunt (to me and to her niece Eve). From her wide-ranging international adventures, to her busy cultural and intellectual life in London (which seemed so glamorous to me), and her great warmth and generosity, she taught my mother and me so much about life. From as early as I can remember, she was enthusiastic, energetic and always there. I remember taking my first trip alone to stay with her in London as a teenager, meeting her fascinating friends and learning about the world, listening to her sound advice about my love life, going for long walks followed by whisky or red wine drinking when she visited us in Scotland, receiving my first Chanel perfume from her, visiting Tunis and photographing a million doors (not as well as Lucy), and her fitting in perfectly with my best friends at a special dinner for my 30th birthday. Most of all, I remember her wonderful laughter, her ability to make connections with absolutely everybody, her genuine zest for life, and her tendency to be a little bossy sometimes! 

Trinity was Lucy’s sanctuary for the three years that she fought her cancer so determinedly. Lucy so appreciated the wonderful art classes, the delicious cakes in the cafe, the beautiful and tranquil gardens and most importantly the warmth and support of all of the staff, volunteers and other patients and their families and friends at Trinity. It really is a unique place, and we are so very grateful for all that it gave Lucy.

Something that we (Lucy and her family) really value about Trinity is the fact that it is open and free to anyone in need of support, and offers a range of amazing services, to support people with cancer, and their families and friends, through the whole journey.

Visiting Lucy there in the last weeks of her life made me feel that she couldn’t have been in a better place. She was in a lovely room filled with light, overlooking the beautiful gardens, and could rest on the balcony in the sunshine. We were able to visit any time, day or night, and were made so welcome and comfortable by Trinity’s incredible staff. We miss Lucy terribly, but are so grateful that her passing was so peaceful and in a place that was so special to her. 

Trinity relies on fundraising, income from its charity shops and other donations. I have therefore decided to run a marathon to raise funds for Trinity. It will be my first and probably only marathon, and it will be a hilly one….eeek! I will run the 42km in Soweto, South Africa. I am now fully into a gruelling training plan, but think of Lucy every run. And I know that she would insist I can do it!

Lucy visited South Africa several times, and thoroughly enjoyed her time there. It is close to my country of birth, Swaziland, so my half-brother and his wife have kindly offered to put me up while I’m there for the marathon. It is also one of the closest marathons to where I live in Ethiopia. 

I know that many of Lucy’s friends and family have already made generous donations to Trinity, but I hope that we can continue to support its great work, so would really appreciate any donations that you are able to make. 

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