Carol Fletcher only discovered a love for motorbikes when she semi-retired from her lifelong job in a bank. When she struggled to pass her motorbike test she moved instead to trikes, eventually purchasing and customising her dream Harley-Davidson trike: The Beast.

Along with friends at the 1066 Harley-Davidson chapter, she went on many adventures with The Beast before being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year. Having received six months of what her son describes as ‘incredible care’ from St Wilfrid’s Hospice, she made the decision to leave her prized trike to St Wilfrid’s in the hope that it raises vital funds for hospice care.

Recently, her son Matt spoke to us about his mum and why the hospice meant so much to her.

“Mum was probably the most outgoing person ever. She knew everyone, and was absolutely willing to do anything for anyone. All of her friends – and she had so many – say the same thing. She loved life and would always be looking for her next adventure, but she was also generous and loving.

She had one job her whole life – working at a bank. And she loved it because she was such a people-person. When she semi-retired in 2018, motorbikes appeared in her life. She started off with a little on to get her going, and that quickly changed into a different motorbike and then onto trikes. When she found the Harley group, the 1066 chapter, and became their social secretary, there was no stopping her.

Around 4 years ago mum bought The Beast. She designed the whole thing with help from Sykes Harley-Davidson, and it became her prize possession. And she certainly found adventure on it – from taking part in the Cirencester Rally to trips around the South of France, and even having it appear in a film, she took that trike absolutely everywhere.

In March this year we had the devastating news that Mum has lung and liver cancer. She was only 63. Mum being Mum, she didn’t hang about. So, within a week of finding out about the cancer she was in touch with almost everyone that she needed talk to – including St Wilfrid’s.

The team at the hospice were incredible. Mum couldn’t stop saying how good they were.  They visited her at home and made her feel really confident that she wasn’t going to be in pain, which is something she was really happy about. They helped her get the right medication, and were there for her when she was struggling to get help elsewhere.

And I used the hospice’s 24/7 support line – Hospice Line – so many times. By July Mum’s cancer had progressed to her brain, giving her dementia-like symptoms. Things were changing really quickly and were like nothing I had experienced before, so I rang almost daily for a while. Having someone on the end of the phone to kind of say ‘this is normal’ was such a relief. And to be able to talk to someone who has the ability to do something was really handy.

Mum spent her last few days in the hospice, which was the best place. I had been staying at Mum’s to help look after her, but it got too much for me. I was asking friends to come round and help because she wouldn’t let me help her. She was very proud that her son should not have to look after her, so coming into the hospice took away that worry.

All the nurses at the hospice were absolutely incredible. Having people who have been there before, who know what’s happening, was invaluable. And I remember, the day she died, one of the nurses took me into a quiet space, gave me a little fabric heart, gave mum one and then we went for a walk in the garden. And it was just lovely. They are just lovely.

Which is why I am glad mum decided to leave her trike to the hospice. When we were there, we were looking at how much it costs to run the place, and I was shocked to see that 70% of the funds comes from donations. So, I’m hoping the trike raises a good amount and helps the hospice look after more people. I’m also hoping that The Beast gets to go on many more adventures with someone who will love it as much as Mum did.

Find out more about the raffle.