insideKENT Magazine Issue 96 - March 2020 | Page 161

CHARITY
ellenor Hospice receives staggering
£2m donation
ellenor, the local charity
committed to offering
compassionate hospice care,
has received a two million
pound donation to help it build
for the future.
McArthurGlen designer outlet
Ashford announces new 2020
charity partnership
McArthurGlen
Designer Outlet
Ashford has
announced The
Royal National
Lifeboat Institution
(RNLI) as its
nominated charity
partner for 2020.
Following a donation of land,
on which the hospice is built,
in May 2019, the Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust has now given a staggering
£2 million of additional funding to help develop ellenor’s Wellbeing Centre.
Known and loved throughout the local community for their outstanding,
compassionate care, ellenor has been growing and adapting to meet the needs
of local families for the past 35 years.
“Demand for our services are ever increasing” explains ellenor CEO Vikki
Harding, “as a result we have reached a point where our facilities are restricting
us from providing outstanding care, we need to extend and redevelop our
hospice building.”
“A crucial part of ellenor’s work is to provide holistic care; enabling patients
to be able to live as well as they can for as long as they can by offering physical,
emotional and spiritual support” said Colyer-Fergusson chief executive
Jacqueline Rae. “Colyer-Fergusson celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2019
and as part of our celebrations we wanted to give grants to good causes and
ellenor is very special to us. This funding will help ellenor create a bright and
spacious Wellbeing Centre, offering a broader range of therapeutic activities,
tailored to patient needs.”
Responding to an
average of 24 callouts
a day, the RNLI is
renowned for its
work in saving lives
at sea around the
coasts of the United
Kingdom and
Ireland. Every year, the volunteer lifeboat crews and lifeguards help and
rescue thousands of people from drowning, saving over 142,700 lives since
1824. With Kent home to more than 50 beaches, the local community relies
on the important work of the RNLI year-around.
To support the cause, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford will be working
closely with the charity to raise awareness and vital donations. Throughout
2020, the partners will host a range of fun and educational activities for the
whole family to enjoy.
Vikki adds: “We are so grateful to Colyer-Fergusson Charitable Trust for their
support towards the development of our hospice building to meet the needs
of our community, for now and the future.” During the February half term, families were invited to the centre to learn
more about water safety and the RNLI’s influential work. As part of the
educational experience, the centre played host to a full-size inflatable lifeboat
and welcomed guests to have their pictures taken in lifeboat crew kit.
While the new Wellbeing Centre will be at the heart of supporting patients
to improve their quality of life, as well as feeling more empowered in their
care and making the most of the time they have left, ellenor also aims to
improve the whole of the hospice building, providing single en-suite rooms,
improved café and community space, and landscaped gardens. ellenor will
need to raise an additional £4.9 million in order fulfil their ambitious plans. Peter Corr, centre manager at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Ashford, said:
‘We are so pleased to partner with The Royal National Lifeboat Institution
in 2020. The work they do is critical in raising awareness of water safety - we
are proud to host them within the centre, supporting their mission and work
within our local community’.
Shepherd Neame teams up with Pennies to boost charity funds
Britain’s oldest brewer Shepherd Neame has teamed
up with Pennies, the digital charity box, in a bid to
boost funds for its Charity of the Year.
The Faversham-based independent family business
announced in October that it had chosen the Royal
British Legion Industries (RBLI) as its Charity of the
Year for 2019/20. Based near the brewery at
Aylesford near Maidstone, RBLI is a national charity
supporting not only British Armed Forces veterans,
but civilian men and women of all ages, specifically
those with disabilities and the long-term unemployed.
It aims to support its beneficiaries to find work and
lead independent lives.
Shepherd Neame is now giving its customers a new
way to donate to this worthy cause. Custom ers
drinking and dining at selected sites are invited to
make a 25 pence donation to charity when they
spend over £30 and pay on a card via Chip & Pin.
Every penny given goes to charity: 90% to RBLI
and 10% to Pennies.
Chief executive Jonathan Neame said: “Our Sheps
Giving committee has been working with RBLI on
an exciting programme of fundraising activities at
the brewery and across our pub estate, and we hope
that this new partnership with Pennies will further
increase the donations we generate.”
a Pennies partner. We make charitable giving
accessible, affordable and a part of everyday life.
Shepherd Neame runs a thriving estate of pubs and
hotels throughout London and the South East and
we are excited to give their customers a chance to
join a growing community of giving – and support
the fantastic work of RBLI.”
Pennies chief executive Alison Hutchinson adds:
“We are delighted to welcome Shepherd Neame as
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