Sarah Wyn-Jones, who lost husband to cancer, brings movie star Gwyneth Paltrow to Marie Curie Hospice

Published: 7th April, 2011
by JOSIE HINTON

SUPERSTAR actress Gwyneth Paltrow visited the Marie Curie Hospice in Hampstead yesterday (Wednesday).

The Hollywood A-lister was there to help her friend, Sarah Wyn-Jones, launch this year’s Hampstead Hug walk. Ms Wyn-Jones, whose husband was cared for at the hospice last year before his death from cancer, is organising the event to support the hospice, which costs £5.3million a year to run.

Ms Paltrow (pictured), who met Ms Wyn-Jones through their children, said: “The staff at the Marie Curie Hospice are amazing and their free care and support to terminally ill people and their families at the worst possible 

time is truly remarkable. I hope that as many people as possible sign up to the Hampstead Hug walk so that the hospice can keep helping more families like Sarah’s.” 

Ms Wyn-Jones gave her friend a tour of the hospice and chatted to the staff who had cared for her husband. She said: “What is so special about this place is that they didn’t only look after my husband, they looked after us as well. They offered my children counselling to understand what was happening.”

She added that she was looking for people to take part in the walk, act as a steward on the day, or agree to put up posters in their shop or school. 

The Hampstead Hug takes place on July 3 on Hampstead Heath and participants can choose to walk either three or six miles. It costs £10 for adults to enter and £5 for children, with each participant asked to raise £25.