Local Restaurant Gives Back to North East Hospice

WASHINGTON-based Italian restaurant Fiume paid a special visit to Willow Burn Hospice this week to lift patient’s spirits with an afternoon of fine dining and fun activities.

The afternoon began with Fiume serving up lunch, including pizza and pasta, before the restaurant’s bar staff showed off their cocktail making skills, mixing a selection of alcohol-free mocktails, as well as encouraging patients and staff to have a go themselves.

Fiume, which is owned and operated by Cairn Group, has a strong affiliation with the Durham-based hospice which sits within Maiden Law Hospital and provides support to those with life-limiting illnesses, with three of the restaurant’s team also running the Great North Run in aid of the hospice later this year.

Alan Welch, general manager at Fiume, said: “The services and support which Willow Burn Hospice provides is vital to the local community and it was our pleasure to treat patients and staff to a special lunch.

“Patients’ illnesses mean that they just aren’t well enough to go out to a restaurant to enjoy a meal – something which a lot of us may take for granted, so we were keen to bring some of our restaurant’s most popular dishes to them. We hope the afternoon was enjoyed by all.”

Katherine Luke, fundraising manager at Willow Burn Hospice, said: “On behalf of everyone at Willow Burn Hospice I’d like to say a big thank you to Fiume for its kind donation of lunch. Without the support and generosity of individuals and businesses like Fiume, we simply wouldn’t be able to operate.

“The time which the team from Fiume spent with our patients during the afternoon was invaluable, as it provided the opportunity for them to be stimulated and focus their minds on activities they could engage with, as well as the added boost of interacting with external visitors. It was great to see such big smiles on their faces.”

For more information on Fiume call 0191 415 0007 or visit www.fiumewashington.co.uk.

For more information on Willow Burn Hospice call 01207 529 224 or visit www.willow-burn.co.uk.