Community rallies behind St Giles Hospice Urgent Appeal
St Giles Hospice has thanked the local community for their extraordinary response to its Urgent Appeal, which has raised £313,000 since launching in late 2024.
Sean, whose wife Felicity died at St Giles aged 38 in November 2023, has been leading the appeal, sharing his family's story to highlight the vital importance of hospice care.
He said: "The care Felicity received at St Giles was incredible - it gave us precious time together as a family that we'll always cherish. I've been overwhelmed by how our community has come together to support the hospice. To see over £313,000 raised is remarkable.”
Elinor Eustace, Chief Executive Officer of St Giles Hospice, added: "We are truly bowled over by our community's incredible response to our Urgent Appeal at what we know is a difficult time for households. This remarkable show of support will help us face some of the challenges ahead in 2025.
"While this support is vital and deeply appreciated, we must be clear that the underlying challenges of providing specialist end of life care remain significant. With annual operating costs of £10 million and just 18% coming from statutory funding, we will continue to work with our healthcare partners and Hospice UK to campaign for a sustainable model for the future. We rely heavily on our community's generosity and thank every single donor who has contributed to this appeal.
Elinor added: "The £313,000 raised will help St Giles continue providing vital care to local families like Sean and Felicity Collins. While this incredible community response will help us face immediate challenges, we know demand for our specialist care continues to grow.”
With donations still coming in, our hope is to reach a target of £400,000 by the end of February which would help fund around 12,500 hours of essential care for local patients who need us."
The Urgent Appeal was launched following difficult decisions made by the hospice in 2024, including reducing inpatient beds from 23 to 15 due to financial pressures. £32 could help fund an hour of patient care on hospice’s Inpatient Unit, making every donation vital for maintaining these essential services.
Sean added: “But we need more help. Every donation, no matter the size, helps ensure other families can receive the same outstanding care we did. Please support St Giles if you can - you never know when your family might need them. I certainly never expected to need their care at such a young age."
To support St Giles Hospice's Urgent Appeal, visit stgileshospice.com/urgentappeal, call 01543 432538 or text 10APPEAL to 70460 to donate £10.
