PETER Kelsey, md of Chesterfield-based Designer Contracts, has been made a patron of North Derbyshire’s Ashgate Hospice, in recognition of the company’s long-time support of the charity.

The association with Ashgate started in 2018 when a long-serving employee at Designer Contracts helped create a family room for the hospice and invited Peter to the opening. He said: ‘I was overwhelmed by Ashgate’s wonderful atmosphere and positivity. This colleague has since died of cancer, making our links even more poignant.’

The following year the business contributed to the charity’s bedroom appeal by helping to turn outdated three-bedroom bays into nine individual bedrooms. And in 2020, at the height of Covid-19, the company stepped in to help the charity’s emergency appeal with a donation of £100,000 to ensure it could continue providing end of life care while responding to the challenges of coronavirus in the community.

Said Peter: ‘I’m honoured to be asked to become a patron of Ashgate and look forward to seeing how I can contribute going forward.

‘Designer Contracts started from our spare bedroom in 1992 and has grown to become the UK’s largest flooring contractor – and thereby a business that can help support wonderful causes like Ashgate.

‘While we also support the NSPCC, especially Childline, Ashgate is our local charity and lots of our people put on special events across the country to raise money for the hospice.’
Outside of Designer Contracts, Peter is heavily involved with his local church and the Diocese of Derby. He’s also a Freeman of the City of London and involved with the Furniture Makers’, a City of London livery company.
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