CHARITY
Fundraising – Teesside Hospice has a £ 450,000 hole in its budget and urgently needs help .
WHO CARES ?
Help urgently needed to bridge hospice funding gap
Teesside Hospice is helping families make memories that will last a lifetime – but a funding crunch is posing serious questions about its ability to continue helping everyone who needs its care .
During 2022 , the hospice cared for around 3,000 people and their families across its inpatient unit , wellbeing , outreach , counselling and lymphoedema services .
Every 90 seconds , someone is diagnosed with cancer in the UK . This , along with increased waiting times and delays in treatments , has led to an increase in demand for its care .
Ensuring no one dies scared , alone or in pain is at the heart of what Teesside Hospice does . Last year , the hospice provided 74,495 hours of care to thousands of people .
One of those people is Bob , who has been attending the hospice ’ s Wellbeing Centre , getting involved in activities and having plenty of “ relief to take him away from his illness ”.
Bob was diagnosed with inoperable prostate cancer , which spread throughout his bone structure .
“ There ’ s nothing anyone can do about it now , so I ’ m here to enjoy life until I can ’ t any more ,” he says .
“ The overall feeling when you walk through the door is something different , you can feel it whenever you come here . It ’ s the feeling of wellbeing and belonging .”
Bob is an avid Newcastle United supporter who has been enjoying seeing his team fight for a Champions League place for next season . Although he is a Magpies fan , he is keen to get his grandchildren to some Middlesbrough games .
Bob says the care at Teesside Hospice is “ second to none ”, emphasising how important it is that the staff are there to support people like him .
“ This place has allowed me to do things I haven ’ t been able to do before ,” he says . “ They make such a difference to my life , and that means they can make a difference to so many more people as long as they ’ re here .”
Despite the fantastic work carried out by staff and volunteers , the cost-of-living crisis and increasing energy prices are affecting us all – and hospices are no exception .
Sadly , Teesside Hospice is seeing a fall in the number of donations , and with costs soaring , it simply doesn ’ t have enough money to meet the demand for its services .
More and more people now need its care , and staff are now regularly seeing younger people with families who have complex needs accessing its services .
This is in addition to the people currently receiving end-of-life care .
The hospice is built on the belief that it ’ s everyone ’ s basic human right to receive good end-of-life care .
However , with a £ 450,000 hole in its funding , it urgently needs help to keep its doors open . With costs set to continue spiralling , it wants a long-term solution , and tirelessly campaigns for the
Support – Newcastle United fan Bob says the hospice has made a big difference to his life .
government to pay a fairer price for its care – but this will take time .
It ’ s only with the support of local people that they can keep providing urgent care for people with terminal illnesses such as cancer and motor neurone disease .
Many businesses across the region support Teesside Hospice . By working with them , you ’ re helping to make a real difference to the lives of local people , while also benefitting from excellent public relations and networking at its regular events .
Corporate partnerships help the hospice financially , enabling it to care for more people . At the same time , being a corporate partner or supporter can help companies meet their corporate social responsibilities .
There are lots of different ways your business can work with Teesside Hospice . Financial donations , gifts in kind and employee fundraising all help them keep on providing care to people who really need it .
If you ’ d like to hear more , you can request a corporate brochure and speak to the corporate team by emailing annecooling @ teessidehospice . co . uk or calling 01642 811145 . Alternatively , visit teessidehospice . org to see the portfolio of businesses that are “ doing their bit ” for Teesside Hospice .
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