A PUB landlady is planning a series of events to raise £10,000 for Nottingham City Hospital's stroke ward.
Nicola Murphy, 29, who runs It's Inn The Bank in Victoria Road, Netherfield, has raised more than £1,000 for Beeston Ward, which looked after her late grandmother, Evelyn Riekstins.
Mrs Riekstins had a stroke in December 2010 and received rehabilitation care at the ward until February 2011.
"The staff at the ward did a wonderful job looking after my grandma," Mrs Murphy said. After being discharged from the ward Mrs Riekstins lived with Mrs Murphy's mother and father, Anita and Ron Knowles.
"She was doing really well considering," Mrs Murphy added. "In the end, she passed away, because of the stroke, in December 2011, aged 82. But if it hadn't been for the great care at the ward, she wouldn't have been as well as she was in the months prior to her death.
"They told us at the ward that the first six months are the most important after a stroke and the more progress they see in the first few weeks the better the recovery will be.
"That's why it is important to us to raise as much money as we can so the ward can have more of the equipment for physiotherapy and basic day-to-day duties, like standing hoists for getting dressed, or specialised air-pressure seats and beds."
Mrs Murphy has organised a group of 15 women who have formed the Flying for Floss committee. Fundraising started in July and they have raised more than £1,000 from bake sales and raffles.
"We have had fantastic support from the local community," Mrs Murphy said. To raise the remaining £9,000, the committee is organising one event every month until next July, when six of the committee will perform a sponsored parachute jump at Langar airfield.
The next event – a charity quiz night – will be held at the pub at 8pm today.
On Saturday, November 3, five committee members will perform a firewalk at Nottingham Castle.
Mrs Murphy has tickets at £6.50, which include bonfire food, a cocktail, transport to and from the castle, spectators' entry for the firewalk, firework display, disco and late bar.
Dawn Good, hospital head of stroke service, said: "This is a tremendous fundraising effort and we wish Nicola every success. Her contribution to care at one of our acute stroke units is very much appreciated.
"Patients are taken to Beeston Ward from the Hyper Acute Stroke Unit where they usually stay for three days after suffering a stroke.
"When they move to Beeston Ward, patients can then begin their rehabilitation.''
Are you organising fundraising events? Call the newsdesk on 0115 905 1967 or e-mail newsdesk@nottinghampostgroup. co.uk