Harry Potter fan is remembered by family and friends in a magical way

A ‘remarkable’ man who always put others first is being remembered by his husband and colleagues – in a rather magical way.

Workmates of Harry Potter fan Peter Marsden-Lloyd held a themed day at their office at Slater Gordon Solutions in Blackpool, to raise valuable funds for St Catherine’s Hospice where Peter was cared for earlier this year.

Staff dressed as their favourite Hogwarts personalities and threw some Star Wars characters into the mix, whilst others chose to ‘wear blue’ in recognition of Peter’s favourite colour.

Peter’s husband Steven, age 45, from Walton-le-Dale, said: “Everyone always comments on how much Peter would help others and put everyone else’s needs before his own.

“Even in horrible circumstances, when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still put others first and was worried about me and his mum more than himself.

“He really was a remarkable character, and so many people are coming forward because of the love they have for him; they just want to do something to help and pay tribute to him.”

Steven added: “Peter’s work friends at Slater Gordon Solutions contacted me when he was staying at the hospice. They saw how well he was cared for and wanted to contribute something, so they came up with the ‘Star Wars vs Harry Potter’ day.

“They raised an incredible amount of money – a staggering £2,150 which was then matched by the company to a grand total of £4,300.

“When I visited Peter’s workplace to collect the cheque for the charity, I was just blown away by the kindness and generosity of the people towards him, especially as he had only been there for 12 months. It just goes to show how much people thought of him.

“A former work colleague of Peter’s also organised a coffee morning at her current workplace, Progress Housing Group in Leyland, and raised an incredible £2,200.

“And my brother Mark and his new wife Francisca also made a donation from their wedding day recently. As part of the guests’ wedding favours, they made a donation to St Catherine’s for some of the charity’s little silver butterfly pin badges. I thought that was a lovely touch.”

Steven added: “With contributions from his funeral, as well as money I managed to raise from taking part in the St Catherine’s Bark in the Park sponsored walk in October, Peter’s family and friends have raised almost £10,000 in his memory, which is fantastic.”

Peter, 41, who enjoyed keeping fit and had completed a triathlon, died on 2^nd August this year. Steven made a promise to him that he would do all he could to support the hospice, and as well as signing up to do some volunteer work, he’s also registered to take part in the charity’s Wiggle Counties Challenge bike ride on May 14.

“There are no words to describe the level of care Peter received at St Catherine’s,” Steven explained. “It was more than incredible, it was more than phenomenal.

“I donated £1,000 for a new ice machine to continue Peter’s legacy of helping others; the ice machine provided invaluable relief with Peter’s care, because ice water can go a long way for someone on medication.

“I wanted to get a new one so that it would help others, and also as a ‘thank you’ to St Catherine’s for taking such great care of my husband in his final days.

“I can’t do enough to give back for what St Catherine’s did for us, but I’m so thankful to everyone at the hospice, and to everyone who has contributed to the fundraising. It would make Peter very proud.”

Senior fundraiser at St Catherine’s Hospice, Lynne Whittaker, said: “What a remarkable effort from Peter’s family and friends, and what a fitting tribute to him that so many people have done such a variety of things to show their support for St Catherine’s.

“It costs £5m to run the hospice every single year, and we have to raise £3.7m of that from charitable efforts, so we’re very grateful to Steven and the rest of Peter’s family and friends for their support.

“The money they have raised will help us continue to be there for people when it matters most, to provide specialist palliative and end-of-life care to local people, and to offer their loved ones emotional support and opportunities for remembrance.”

See below for a photo gallery of the Harry Potter Day.

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