'We need you': Trinity Hospice launches emergency appeal as funding shortfall set to top £1m

With charity shops closed and an array of major fund-raising events called off due to social distancing measures, the first of 15,000 letters appealing for donations will be landing on doorsteps across the Fylde coast tomorrow.

While they believe there is enough cash in the bank to ride out the storm without cutting services, staff have been furloughed and pay rises put on hold. Much-anticipated upgrades and a planned expansion of services – as demand for hospice care continues to grow – are also at risk of being shelved as donations have plummeted.

Gazette readers have helped raise huge sums for Trinity over the years, and the hospice is now hoping the Fylde coast community will rally round once more as it launches its emergency appeal.

Medical director Dr Gillian Au said: “The coronavirus crisis has hit our community incredibly hard. It has changed the way we are living and dying.

“I have been stunned by the response we have seen by all in our local health and social care profession.

“I feel that many of us will look back on this time with pride at what we’ve achieved.

“For 35 years Trinity has looked after local people in their final days but now we are being asked to face the greatest challenge we are ever likely to face.

“We’ve moved mountains in the last few weeks to change the way we work, to keep nursing local people who have never needed us more, and to support those with coronavirus at the end-of-life in our local community. But, if we’re going to make it through this crisis, we’re going to need help.”

Staff at the hospice, which recently increased bed capacity by 50 per cent to help ease the pressure on Blackpool Victoria Hospital, have had a planed pay rise partially deferred, with no indication of when they will get it.

And around 45 have been furloughed as uncertainty over when some businesses and schools will re-open leaves further funding sources shut off indefinitely.

The hospice costs more than £10m a year to run, with around £6m coming from charitable donations. It has enough in reserve to keep going for around a year and a half but even with government help, chief executive David Houston said it is likely the shortfall by the end of the year will be more than £1m.

He added: “Times like this really underline the fact that the Fylde Coast needs its hospice and the hospice needs the residents of the Fylde Coast. We are in unchartered territory and don’t know how long the impact of Covid-19 will last, but it is obviously going to be months rather than weeks.

“Though it increases our hospice costs, stepping in to help our local NHS was the right thing to do. We are trying to keep all our specialist palliative care hospice and hospital nursing services running as before, to ensure that everyone approaching end of life – for whatever reason – is supported.

“We are not in crisis – our prudent approach to funding and several really successful fund-raising years give us a solid base – but the hole in our 2020 finances will take its toll.”

Already several projects planned at the hospice have been shelved, such as a long-awaited upgrade of staff canteen and rest areas and the upgrade of patient television and internet facilities.

Expansion of services planned for this year and next may also be put on hold if the situation persists.

Head of fund-raising Linzi Warburton said: “As a charity, we must raise at least £6m a year in voluntary donations – the money we get from the Department of Health and NHS only covers about a third of our costs annually.

“The cancellation of our big events, and the impact on community, corporate and school fund-raising means we are about £500,000 down.

“There have been some fantastic examples of people doing what they can to help us in the crisis – from solo runs and bike rides, to generous donations from local companies – and even £5 from a little boy who said the tooth fairy had left it for him, but he wanted us to have it.

“Our fund-raising staff have been moved to tears more than once in recent weeks because of the kindness shown in this crisis.

“Now we are hoping that our emergency appeal letters will help others understand fully the funding challenge we are facing.”

How you can help

Six years ago The Gazette teamed up with Trinity Hospice for the massive Hospice Heroes campaign that raised £260,000 to help transform the Trinity in-patient unit and Brian House Children’s Hospice.

The community response then was phenomenal. The hospice touches 8,000 lives a year and never charges for any of its services. Now, in times of unprecedented pressure, we are asking those Gazette readers who are able to help make the emergency appeal a success.

Donate by visiting www.trinityhospice.co.uk/appeal or call (01253) 358881