News

Photo courtesy of Gloucestershire Media 

Former European table tennis champion Molly Hawkins has left an incredible £56,000 in her Will to help sick and injured animals at Blue Cross. 

Molly, who sadly passed away in January at the age of 93, donated the money to our flagship animal hospital in Victoria, London. 

It was the world’s first animal hospital when it opened its doors in 1906 – just 13 years before Molly was born. 

A gift for poorly pets  

Blue Cross was left a third of Molly’s estate and we have now received £56,580.10 in total, which will be used to help poorly pets whose owners can’t afford private fees. 

Blue Cross provides treatment and finds happy homes for thousands of pets every year and Molly adored animals, particularly cats and dogs. 

An inspiration 

Legacy officer Naomi Orrey says: “We are honoured that Molly chose to leave this wonderful gift to help Blue Cross be there for pets in need. 

“She was an inspirational lady in the table tennis world and, with her generosity and love of animals living on through her legacy, we hope that she will also inspire others to consider leaving a gift in their Will to Blue Cross.” 

Our animal hospitals, mobile and welfare clinics treat around 30,000 sick and injured pets every year. 

Last year the Victoria hospital alone carried out 23,427 consultations and performed 5,180 operations. 

More than half our income comes legacies so generous gifts like Molly’s really do help us to care for more pets in need. 

Sixty year career in table tennis 

Molly’s table tennis career spanned more than 60 years and included five caps for England. 

She was still champion of the international table tennis world in her 80s, winning the silver medal at the over 80s World Championships and gold in the over 85s European Championships in 2003.

To find out more about leaving a gift in you Will to Blue Cross visit our legacy pages or call 0300 777 1757.