Hospice at Home West Cumbria has welcomed the announcement from Government that funding for charities will be available, with hospice care singled out as one of the critical frontline services.  Whilst this is good news, it may be some time before they know how the £200m fund will be distributed, and what the level of support will be.

Julie Monk, Chief Executive for HHWC said

The government announcement of funding for hospice care comes at a time when we need it the most, but it only reflects a proportion of the required income to keep our vital services operating for the people of West Cumbria.

 

Hospice UK is the national organisation which represents the hospice sector across the UK.  In a statement on their website, the Chief Executive Tracey Bleakley said

Hospice UK is working with the NHS to disburse this much-needed funding as soon as possible so we can continue to protect the most vulnerable people in our country during this national emergency.  Hospices depend on the generosity of their local communities to care for people and families affected by terminal illness. This government support is very welcome but it’s still important that people continue to support their local hospice.

Last week Hospice at Home West Cumbria launched their Emergency Appeal asking for the local communities in which they serve, to help them to bridge the gap in the income they would have expected to raise from fundraising events and activities.  The Coronavirus has meant that all of their fundraising events have been cancelled and their charity shops have had to close.  The appeal has included a direct mailing to existing supporters of the charity, and a social media campaign across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Supporters have a variety of ways to donate such as a text to donate service and a dedicated JustGiving page to support the appeal. The charity has included some fun, family friendly ideas on their website to encourage supporters to organise their own at home fundraising activities.

To find out how you can help, visit https://bit.ly/2UTqQh2