Charity café created in memory of 'lovely' man

A charity café is opening in memory of a "lovely" man, with all profits going towards improving hospital care for people with learning disabilities.

Danny Lynch, from Pinehurst in Swindon, died at Bristol Royal Infirmary in November 2023, aged 40, after complications during surgery.

Following his death, his mother, Maria, founded the charity ASK Danny to advocate for people like Danny, who have complex learning disabilities, before or during a hospital stay.

Maria said the profits raised by cafe sales will pay for healthcare assistants who specialise in caring for people with learning disabilities to provide weekend cover at Great Western Hospital (GWH).

Maria said she set up the charity to help channel her grief and to offer support to other people who find themselves in a similar situation to her and Danny when he was in hospital in 2023.

Currently, there are specific nurses who take care of people with learning disabilities during week days at the hospital, but not over the weekends.

She believes the weekend staff could make a "big difference" for families.

Danny's Charity Café will open at the former Olive Tree site at Manor Garden Centre later this month.

Maria said her son always urged her to go for things in life.

"He loved food and would love this," she said.

ASK Danny is looking for donations ahead of its opening day, and still requires items such as commercial fryers and a coffee machine.

The cafe has been decorated to pay tribute to many of Danny's favourite things, including horses.

"He was a lovely gentleman. I'm so glad I got to have 40 precious years with him," his mother said.

A spokesperson for GWH NHS Foundation Trust said: "We are pleased to be working with Maria and the team at Ask Danny, who are generously raising money to help fund additional support for patients with a Learning Disability or autism, alongside the support already provided across our organisation by staff and volunteers alike."

ASK Danny, a finalist in the BBC Radio Wiltshire Make a Difference Awards, also provides teddy bears for adults who go into hospital and resource boxes known as Danny's Box of Tricks, including items such as fidget toys, sensory items and colouring books.

The nomination praised the charity for "not just raising awareness" but also actively "improving hospital experiences... for the most vulnerable members of our community."

The bears bring comfort to people with additional needs, but also act as an identification tool to medical staff so they know the patient might need extra support.

Dr Nick Broughton, the NHS's national priority programme director for mental health, learning disability and neurodevelopmental conditions, said Ask Danny boxes were available on every ward at GWH.

"I'd like to thank Danny's family for their continued work with the trust and I look forward to seeing this partnership develop further," he said.

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