A FORMER councillor’s son and daughter are embarking on a trek through Cambodia to raise money for the hospice that helped her in her final days.
Sandie Davis was a South Gloucestershire councillor, charity trustee and school governor, whose personal dedication to improving life for people with disabilities saw her and husband Jim foster around 35 children and adopt four children with disabilities.
Sandie, who lived in Downend for many years, before moving to Emersons Green in 2000, was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in March 2024, the day before her golden wedding anniversary.
She went into St Peter’s Hospice the day before her 70th birthday and died there less than two weeks later.
But her short time there made a deep impression on her family, with staff helping Sandie and Jim host her planned family birthday party at the hospice.
Now Sandie’s eldest daughter Louise and son Liam are about to embark on a nine-day hike through forests, valleys and mountains in Cambodia to pay something back to the charity that runs the hospice.
Louise, of Mangotsfield, is a former deputy head teacher who is about to start a civilian job with the police, and Liam, of Soundwell, works for South Gloucestershire Council.
Louise said: “Mum spent so much of her life doing things for other people – as a nurse, foster mum, adoptive mum, councillor, charity trustee and governor, and particularly through her work supporting and advocating for people with disabilities.
“After losing her, we wanted to do something positive in her memory and hopefully continue just a little bit of that legacy.
“Although Mum’s time at St Peter’s was short, what they did for her, and for all of us, has stayed with us.
“They helped us celebrate her 70th birthday there as a family and cared for her with such dignity and kindness. At probably the worst point in our lives, they looked after not only Mum but all of us around her.
“It’s very difficult to appreciate quite what a hospice does until your family needs one. We can’t ever really repay them for what they gave us, but raising money so they can provide that same care for another family feels like a pretty good place to start.”
Alongside their training, Louise and Liam have so far raised around £6,000 for the hospice, through events including quiz nights, and sponsorship.
Anyone who would like to donate can do so via their fundraising page at tinyurl.com/yjxm7e38.
Louise said: “We’ve been absolutely blown away by the support we’ve received so far.
“I think Mum would be really proud that we’re raising money for St Peter’s, although she’d probably think choosing to trek up mountains and sleep in tents was absolutely ridiculous!”