A HIGH flying fundraiser had the surprise of her life after being duped onto the set of Coronation Street where she was praised for her community efforts by the cast.
Daredevil fundraiser Nancy Spencer, a volunteer at St Teresa’s Hospice, Darlington, recently took part in a wing walk at the age of 80 and raised more than £4,000 for the charity.
Her granddaughter, Lisa Woodhouse, contacted BBC1’s One Show which every Thursday praises people with a ‘Big Thank You’ for their community work.
Lisa and her mum, Nancy’s daughter Lynn Bradley, then told a little white lie that they had ‘won tickets to the set of Coronation Street’ and asked her to meet them in Manchester.
“I jumped on the train never suspecting anything, not even when Sean met us on set,” said Heighington-born Nancy, who now lives in Darlington. “I just thought it was part of a private tour for winning the tickets. We went in Roy’s Rolls. I met Ken, Rita and Steve and everyone was lovely.
“Then I said I could do with a pint at the Rovers Return but was told they were filming in there so we needed to be quiet. I heard them shout ‘cut’ and when I heard the landlady Jenny say Nancy I presumed she was talking to another cast member.
“I was then led to the bar where she said ‘you thought you were here for a tour but it’s actually all been arranged by the One Show’. I was so in awe that I was lost for words, which doesn’t happen very often and suddenly started crying. Then Alex Jones came on screen to say well done and our interim chief executive Nicola Myers, who said how amazing I had been. I never thought this would happen when I did my wing walk.”
Nancy finally fulfilled her latest dream of wing walking earlier this year to raise much-needed funds for St Teresa’s Hospice, the charity which helped her late husband Brian, where she continues to volunteer.
She had planned to skydive for her 70th birthday but sadly lost Brian after he was told on Christmas Eve morning that he had cancer.
Ten years later she arranged the parachute jump again and raised £1,500 in advance. But then she was taken ill herself and had to have a pacemaker fitted at 80. Her consultant advised against doing the jump so she switched to a wing walk instead.
She travelled to Wingwalk.Buzz at Leeds Airport East, Church Fenton, near York, and in front of her family and friends completed the 15 minute flight, crossing the skies strapped to the top wing of a Boeing Stearman biplane at speeds of up to 135mph.
Over the years Nancy has taken part in a host of charity events including abseiling from the top of a hospital, It’s a Knockout contests and sponsored bed pushes, helping to raise thousands of pounds in the process.
St Teresa’s Hospice needs to raise £3m a year to provide free in-patient and community care for people living with life-limiting illnesses and their families in Darlington, South Durham and North Yorkshire.
Interim chief executive Nicola Myers said: “Nancy is an amazing volunteer for the hospice and an incredible fundraiser and we are so grateful for what she does.”
