Award honours fundraiser who died in Arctic

The comedy promoter who died on an Arctic expedition last year is to be commemorated with an charity prize named in his honour.

Philip Goodeve-Docker, who ran the Purple Cactus events company, died in Greenland in April 2013 while trying to cross more than 350 miles of barren landscape.

An inquest subsequently heard that the 31-year-old died from hypothermia after a 160mph ice storm engulfed his tent. He called for help from his satellite phone, but the -70C weather was too intense to get a helicopter to him and his two travelling companions, who survived the ordeal but suffered severe frostbite.

His expedition was raising funds for the community nursing charity, The Queen’s Nursing Institute – which has now created a memorial prize in his memory.

Under it, the top performing district nursing student in every university in England, Wales and Northern Ireland every year will be eligible for a £50 award.

The scheme, which will begin operating this year, will be funded by the £60,000 raised over the past 12 months by Goodeve-Docker family and friends.

Dr Crystal Oldman, the QNI’s Chief Executive said, ‘The creation of this new award allows us to cherish and celebrate the memory of this young man who died doing what he loved, while raising funds for this charity.

'Due to the incredible generosity of his family and friends, we are able to do something that will really make a difference to district nursing education, and thereby to patient care, which is what Philip set out to do.’

Goodeve-Docker's connection with comedy started while still a student in 2001, when he started the Southampton University comedy society, striking a deal with Jongleurs comedy club to offer cheap tickets to students.

After university, he set up Purple Cactus Comedy, running clubs in Hammersmith, West London, and Northwich, Cheshire, among others. It also booked comedians for sports clubs, private parties, the Frome festival and corporate clients ranging from the Ministry of Defence to Specsavers.

Published: 17 Jun 2014