A handmade banner which was blessed by the Pope during his visit to the UK has raised �350 for the Papworth Hospital Charity.
Michelle Deyna-Hayward, from Coldham, and her friend Sue Burgess, chose to make and design their own banner after being selected to represent Our Lady of Good Counsel and St Peter Catholic Church at the Pontiff’s vigil in Hyde Park.
Ms Deyna-Hayward said: “I felt extremely honoured to take the banner onto stage in front of 60,000 people.
“It was a day I shall never forget and it was fantastic to take part in such a historic event.”
The ‘Papworth banner’ was emblazoned with colourful fabric hearts and the charity was chosen to benefit from fundraising because two members of the pair’s congregation had undergone heart surgery at the hospital.
Helen Daniel, fundraising manager at Papworth Hospital, said: “We would like to express our gratitude to the church members and to those involved in producing the banner for their generosity in raising funds in such a unique way.”
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