AN ANONYMOUS donor has given £20,000 to the Primrose Hospice to help continue to provide vital support to people and families affected by life limiting illnesses.
The donation followed the launch of the hospice’s Big Appeal to raise £100,000 in 80 days which is being backed by the Standard. The cash is needed as in the last year demand for the Bromsgrove based centre’s services has outstripped donations.
The money will pay for 80 days of care at the hospice and thanks to the generosity of the anonymous donor the charity is now a quarter of the way towards its target.
Chief executive Helen Garfield said: “We are delighted and humbled by this most generous donation.
“We started to publicise our campaign just two weeks ago and with all the donations received to date we are already nearly a quarter of the way to our target.
“We would like to thank everyone who has donated and everyone who is helping to promote our campaign.”
Last year the hospice supported almost 900 local people at a cost of £1.6million. A fifth of that comes from the health service with public donations totalling £1.2million, leaving a shortfall.
While the organisation is surviving at the moment, with demand increasing, it needs extra public support to ensure services remain free to Redditch and Bromsgrove residents.
The biggest rise has been in the Primrose Children Services which has gone up by 88 per cent since June 2013, compared to the same period the year before.
The Primrose Day Hospice services received 220 referrals last year and the Hospice from Home Services, which include outpatients clinics and physiotherapy services, provided 6,500 hours of one-to-one care in people’s homes.
Mrs Garfield added: “We are delighted that the public are getting behind our appeal to ensure we can keep up with the ever increasing demands on our resources.
“In these cash strapped times this is getting harder and harder. Every little really does help.”
To donate call 01527 889796, visit www.primrosehospice.org/bigappeal or text PHBA01 £12/£26/£57 to 70070.
Cash can also be dropped off at any of the Primrose’s charity shops and cheques can be made payable to ‘Primrose Hospice and sent to: BIG Appeal, Primrose Hospice, St Godwald’s Road, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire B60 3BW and the sender should include their name and address.
