A kind-hearted Doncaster couple are celebrating an incredible 20 years of supporting Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

Pete and Teresa Wiltshere began fundraising for the hospice when the building itself was nothing more than a dream for local families who had nowhere else to turn. Thanks to the efforts of inspirational people like Pete and Teresa, Bluebell Wood opened its doors in 2008 and has been making magical memories with children and families ever since.

“We’ve always tried to do our bit for charity and it’s something that we’ve always done together. Life has been good to us, so we like to give something back,” said Teresa, 74.

“When we found out that there were plans to build a children’s hospice locally back in 2002, we thought it was something that we  had to support.

“We had our wedding anniversary coming up so we decided to host a bit of a fundraiser for Bluebell Wood, which was our first ever do.”

It was the first of many and six years later, when former local MP David Blunkett declared the hospice officially open, it was a very special moment.

Peter, 75, said: “It was an amazing day and we felt very proud to be a part of it.  It’s a real privilege to be a part of something like that.

“It’s a beautiful place and I always feel very proud when we visit. It’s a place full of calm, peace and serenity. I always speak about it with great pride when I tell people about it. I like to think that we put a brick in the place.

“But first and foremost we’re supporters, and we help in whatever way we can. We get a great deal of satisfaction from supporting Bluebell Wood.

“We feel thankful that we’ve been fortunate enough to be able to help – and we’ll keep going as long as we can.”

Over the years the now retired couple have held various fundraisers for Bluebell Wood, including auctions, dances, street collections and their famous annual coffee mornings which they host in their back garden. As well as raising thousands of pounds, the couple also volunteer for Bluebell Wood and have given various talks about the charity’s work in schools and businesses.

Samantha Wood, Head of Fundraising at Bluebell Wood, said: “I simply don’t have the words to describe how grateful we are for everything Pete and Teresa have done for Bluebell Wood over the past 20 years.

“They are a remarkable couple whose tireless dedication to Bluebell Wood and the many other good causes they support is nothing short of inspirational.

“As well as being wonderful supporters and advocates, they are a truly lovely couple who would go out of their way to help anyone in need.

“Happy anniversary to Pete and Teresa from all at Bluebell Wood – we’ll look forward to many more to come.”

If you've been inspired by the Wiltshere's journey and would like to lend your time to Bluebell Wood, you can find out more about our varied volunteering roles here. Or if their story has inspired you to start your own fundraising journey, we'd be delighted to hear from you.