Family legacy provides six figure donation to Wigan charity

Freda Grimshaw, of Pennington, Leigh, presented medical director Prof Sanjay Arya with the sizeable sum of £100,000 to be used for improving cardiac services at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (WWL).

Prof Arya said: “On behalf of WWL, the cardiology department and our Three Wishes Charity, I would like to say a huge thank-you to Freda for this incredibly generous donation."

Three Wishes funds projects, equipment and services to improve the environment and experiences of patients across its hospital sites - from conception through to end of life.

The 88-year-old former peripatetic teacher said, it was her family, particularly her coal-miner father who inspired her to make the donation.

Mrs Grimshaw said: “Prof Arya and the cardiology team has been looking after me for years, so this is the least I can do. My mum, dad and sister, all had heart problems and really, this money is from them.

“My dad had the lung disease, pneumoconiosis, from years of dust exposure from mining.

"He was the best dad ever, he was wonderful - as was my mother who was the power behind the throne.”

Prof Arya said: “We are extremely grateful to Freda for her kind and generous donation which is one of the largest single donations we have received from an individual. It will certainly go a long way in supporting our Three Wishes Charity’s mission to further improve patient care.”