Shropshire Magazine

Hope House’s Louise Corfield will be helping to sell these raffle tickets before the jewel’s winner is drawn on December 6, 2009.

Ken Kapal’s beautiful gold-and-diamond snowflake. It could be yours!

Neil Thomas reports on a gesture of huge generosity that will help publicise one of Hope House’s most valuable facilities

One of the most poignant rooms at Hope House children’s hospice has inspired a Shropshire craftsman to create a striking handmade piece of jewellery.

The Snowflake Suite is where a grieving family can spend time with a newly-lost child, with staff on hand to offer practical and emotional support.

Ken Kapal and his wife Autumn were so moved on hearing about the suite that they wanted to do something to highlight it as well as raising funds for the hospice.

The result is a superb 18-carat white gold necklace with a three-dimensional pendant in the shape of a snowflake with 36 diamonds each expertly set by hand.

It was designed and made by Ken, who has more than 25 years experience of manufacturing wedding rings and fine jewellery, and runs his own business, KMK Fine Jewellery, at Gobowen, near Oswestry. The chain was donated by Curteis, of Ellesmere. Ken estimates the necklace has a retail value of £2,000 but he is giving Hope House supporters the chance to own it for just £1.

He and Autumn are raffling off the necklace, with the draw to be made at the Hope House Snowman Shuffle in Oswestry on December 6, when hundreds will run through the town in snowman suits to raise tens of thousands of pounds for the hospice.

American-born Ken, who plied his trade in the United States and Japan before moving to Britain 11 years ago, said: “Whoever wins the necklace will have a piece that is handmade and unique.”

Autumn, who herself has 30 years experience of the jewellery trade, added: “I think Ken has created a beautiful piece of jewellery. Time and skill has gone into it and it’s lovely to look at.”

Autumn and Ken Kapal.

Outing

The couple first came into contact with Hope House when they encountered some children who were staying there and were on a short outing to a steam train event at Llynclys, near Oswestry.

“We decided we’d like to do something to help in some way,” said Ken. The couple have two sons, seven-year-old Elliott and Alex, who is six, and Autumn added: “We are so thankful that our children are healthy but some families are not so lucky and Hope House is there for them.

“I don’t know how many people are aware of the Snowflake Suite at Hope House. I certainly wasn’t. I feel passionately that more people should know about it and that we must do all we can to ensure Hope House, which provides so much support for people, carries on its amazing work.”

The snowflake necklace is currently on view at Peter Vidal’s Malthouse Gallery in Oswestry, where many leading artists have displayed.

Raffle tickets, priced £1 each, are available from Hope House Fundraising on 01691 671671, www.kmkfinejewellery on 01691 656917, The Malthouse Gallery, The Sweeney Hall Hotel, Mile End Golf Club, Jack Mytton Inn and Just The Right Thing.

Autumn added: “Even our boys’ school, Our Lady and St Oswald Catholic Primary School, have been selling tickets like crazy to the mums, and are also donating half of their Harvest Festival collection to Hope House this year as they were so moved by the Snowflake Suite.”