Artist raises thousands for Sue Ryder hospice in Moggerhanger in memory of his mum

An artist has raised thousands of pounds for Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice by selling his artwork at an exhibition in Austria.

Nick, who was born and raised near Sharnbrook, was inspired to raise funds after his mother Clarice Collings was cared for at the hospice in 2016.

He painted 40 portraits of people he knew and sold them at an art exhibition in Graz Austria, where he now lives. He had previously fundraised for Sue Ryder back in 2020, raising £1,300 and bringing his total donation to £2,454.

His mum Clarice was also a talented artist, and art was a strong bonding point for Nick and his mother. After she died, Nick found it difficult to paint again.

He said: “Some years after my mother passed away I was struggling with the idea of painting. I couldn’t really see a point. My wife, Heidrun, pointed out that my mother wouldn’t have wanted me to give up. This led me to the idea of doing a series of paintings, selling them for however much people wanted to pay and donating all the proceeds to the Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice near Moggerhanger.

“My mother spent her final weeks at the Sue Ryder hospice, and I was very impressed with the staff and the level of care they provided. They made her feel as comfortable as possible in her final days and it meant a huge amount to me. I think she would be very happy that I decided to sell paintings in support of Sue Ryder, as she was very happy with the charity herself and had supported it before with her own artwork. I know that she would be pleased that I had found a reason to paint again after some years.”

Charlotte Griggs, co mmunity fundraiser at the hospice said, “We are so grateful for Nick and his wonderful work raising funds for our hospice, especially from all the way over in Austria! His portraits are so beautiful, and it is amazing to see the donations that his artwork has received, he is extremely talented! All money raised will help us continue to be there when it matters for families going through the most difficult times of their lives.”

If you’re inspired to fundraise for Sue Ryder, visit the website for ideas and tips, or email the Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice fundraising team at [email protected] or on 01767 642424.