dan

What’s the largest amount of coins that you can get in a jam jar do you think? £136 according to my five-year old son Dan. We’ve been collecting one and two pound coins in a jam jar as part of HospiceCare North Northumberland’s Jam Jar Army.

The Jam Jar army is the brainchild of Wife in the North author Judith O’Reilly who has set an ambitious fundraising target of £10,000 by the end of September and is asking people in Northumberland to help fill a jam jar with coins for the local hospice.

Judith is recruiting children and grown-ups to her army to help fill jam jars with spare change. Dan and I have almost certainly broken the rules by only collecting one and two pound coins from friends and family but I’m sure no one will mind.

Judith is also looking for social media and PR help for the project. There’s a Facebook page and web site to manage, and content to create for local media. It’d be great experience for anyone that is studying for a PR degree.

HospiceCare North Northumberland is a wonderful community nurse-led service that works with people with life limiting conditions. It provides support for more than 250 families each year, from centres in Alnwick and Berwick and costs £1,250 per day to run.

If you need an empty jam jar I suggest that you spread your jam or marmalade thicker at breakfast. Alternatively you can pick up empty jars from HospiceCare North Northumberland at Castleside House, 40 Narrowgate, Alnwick.

For more information about the project head over to the Jam Jar army web site or Facebook page or call HospiceCare on 01665 606 515. And start collecting.