Casting a line in memory of my dad and supporting Saint Francis Hospice

My dad, John Vaughan, was diagnosed with cancer in late 2014. Doctors initially told us he might have around 18 months to live, but sadly he died just six months later. In November 2015, he was admitted to Saint Francis Hospice after being told he had only weeks left to live. It was there that our family experienced first-hand the incredible care and compassion the hospice provides.  

Before Dad became a patient there, I didn't know much about Saint Francis Hospice. What I'll always remember is how well they looked after him. They made sure he was comfortable and cared for with dignity, and they gave our family the chance to spend precious time with him during his final days. We got on so well with everyone who worked there, and their kindness made an incredibly difficult time a little easier. 

Fishing was one of Dad's greatest passions

I was working night shifts at the time. On the morning my dad died, I went to see him after work and he passed away around half an hour later. It felt as though he had been waiting for me. That's something that has always stayed with me.  

Fishing was one of Dad's greatest passions. He was an avid carp angler and before his diagnosis he had booked a fishing trip to France with his friends. Sadly, he never got the chance to go. After he passed away, his friends invited me to take his place on the trip and I went in his honour.  

When I got back, my best friend Danny and I started talking about ways we could remember Dad. Danny was like a second son to him and shared his love of fishing and football. Together, we came up with the idea of organising a fishing competition and presenting the winner with a trophy in Dad's name. 

Raising money whilst celebrating Dad's life

The first event took place at Orchard Lake Farm in 2015. It was a fantastic day, and we raised money for Saint Francis Hospice while celebrating Dad's life. Afterwards we thought, why stop there? So we decided to make it an annual event.  

Since then, every year around October or November, Danny and I book a lake and bring together up to 20 people for a 72-hour fishing competition. The person who catches the most fish wins the J V Carp Cup. We also run raffles throughout the event to raise additional funds for the hospice. Apart from the years affected by Covid, we've kept the competition going every year.  

Last year marked the tenth anniversary of the competition, so we made it extra special by holding a larger event in France, with 23 people taking part. To date, we have raised more than £1,646 for Saint Francis Hospice. My mum comes along whenever she can to present the trophy, which means a lot to all of us. I'm incredibly proud that we've been able to continue doing this year after year in Dad's memory. 

To find out more, you can watch this video about the latest competition this year on Youtube.