St Giles Hospice appeals for fundraising support
A hospice in Staffordshire has launched an urgent appeal for donations to keep running amid coronavirus – with £850,000 needed each month.
St Giles Hospice, which has centres in Walsall and Whittington, needs the funds to keep its services operated in order to help the most vulnerable.
Now it has launched Katie's Appeal to fundraise – with events cancelled and shops having to close to Covid-19.
Katie Taroni, clinical director at the hospice, said: "This is an extremely worrying time for everyone, especially our patients and their families who are living with a terminal or incurable illness.
"We recognise the incredible change that this pandemic is having on all of our lives and, for our patients and families, the added fear and anxiety that they are already experiencing.
"We’re extremely worried about the impact the coronavirus outbreak will have on our hospice’s future. Our shops have had to close, our events are being cancelled and our income has almost dried up meaning that we are now reliant on donations to continue our work.
"We’ve always said that it takes a community to make a hospice and our message to local people is that we’ve never needed you more than we need you today.
"This coupled with the ever growing need for palliative care at this time, whilst we help ease the burden on the NHS, means our service has never been needed more than it is today."
The hospice needs £10 million each year for its care services, with a third of funding coming from the Government.
Katie added: "Please donate to Katie’s Appeal today to keep our hospice open and our key workers working during these extremely uncertain times.
"If your donations stop, we stop, and any donation you can make will make a massive difference to our patients at a time when they need us most."
A £5 donation could pay or meals for a patient, £10 could pay or an hour of housekeeping to keep the hospice infection-free, £28 could fund an hour of one-to-one nursing, and £676 could pay for 24 hours of hospice.
People can donate to Katie’s Appeal by making a one-off or regular monthly donation online at www.stgileshospice.com/katiesappeal or by calling 1543 432538.
People can also send a cheque made payable to ‘St Giles Hospice’ to Katie’s Appeal, St Giles Hospice, Fisherwick Road, Whittington, Lichfield WS14 9LH.
For more information visit www.stgileshospice.com
