Oundle yoga teacher raises more than £7,000 for hospice through online classes

An Oundle yoga teacher has raised thousands for a local hospice through online classes she started during the pandemic.

Nancy Taylor began teaching yoga online in June 2020 while many people were forced to stay at home during the worldwide Covid-19 outbreak.

Since then, she has been hosting free weekly online charity yoga sessions – inviting participants to donate to Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice in return. To date, the classes have raised an incredible £7,288 for the charity – far surpassing Nancy’s original target of £1,000.

The money raised through Nancy’s classes will help Sue Ryder be there when it matters, providing expert and compassionate palliative care and bereavement support.

Nancy hosts her fundraising sessions each Monday. For anyone who can’t make it, she will record the class and upload it to YouTube, for which people can also donate.

In addition to the regular Monday classes, Nancy holds special one-off in-person yoga events at Christmas, choosing a different cause each year, with Sue Ryder sometimes benefitting from these sessions too - contributing to the overall amount raised.

Nancy, who is a British Wheel of Yoga-qualified teacher, started practicing Yoga when she was 25 and began teaching yoga 12 years ago. Initially part-time in addition to her day job in fundraising, Nancy knows from experience how important it is for the community to get involved and support local causes.

She said, “There is no obligation for people to donate but people have been very generous. I am in the fortunate position that I am now retired from my day job and while I continue to teach my yoga sessions, I can also give some of my time to support fantastic causes like Sue Ryder.

“I lived near Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall in Peterborough before I moved to Oundle and would walk the pram around the gardens there. People I know have spoken to me about the fantastic care their loved ones have received there. It’s a charity close to people’s hearts and I wanted people to feel connected to the cause.

“I feel passionate about the whole hospice movement too, about dying well. Most of us have lost someone and at times you think things could have been better for them. Plus, part of our Yoga teachings and philosophy is to be connected and generous to others. This also drives me.”

Nancy isn’t planning on slowing her fundraising efforts anytime soon and hopes to reach £10,000 for Sue Ryder with the ongoing support of the community.

Nilesh Patel, Senior Community Fundraiser at Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, said: "Nancy’s fundraising efforts over the past four years have been brilliant to follow – and to have generated over £7k through something she is so passionate about is fantastic to see. Nancy speaks so warmly about Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, and I have no doubt her enthusiasm and appreciation for the work we do as a charity encourages the members of the community she teaches to support and donate when they can. We’re grateful for her ongoing support which will help to ensure no one has to die or grieve alone.”

To donate, visit Nancy’s JustGiving page.