Helen Cartwright has had ovarian cancer for about two years and is a regular visitor to the Lakelands Day Care Hospice, in Butland Road.

Last August her husband Barry died suddenly and instead of flowers at the funeral, Helen decided to ask for donations to be given to the hospice.

She gave £650 towards the cost of the greenhouse.

The 66-year-old, from Pennine Way, Kettering, said: "My husband liked it at Lakelands and was a keen gardener.

"He used to bring me here every week and pick me up and we would have a have a cup of tea. He thought it was a wonderful place."

Helen, who has two children and five grandchildren, is set to have another course of chemotherapy in six weeks .

She said: "My husband and I were together for 45 years and we never had an argument. I'm fighting the battle without him now."

Oakley Vale councillors David Sims and Eve Howitt also gave £2,380 from the Community Leadership Fund to the hospice.

Cllr Sims said: "It's a worthwhile charity and the staff do a tremendous job."

As well as the greenhouse, the money will be spent on the cost of producing newsletters and leaflets about what is on offer at Lakelands.

Fundraising manager Jo Plant said: "We weren't quite there with the money so the councillors topped it up for us."