A children’s hospice has launched an urgent online fundraiser after losing thousands of pounds worth of donations due to the coronavirus lockdown.
East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH), which opened its new Norfolk hospice - The Nook - in Framingham Earl in November, is calling on the public to donate through the Just Giving website or get creative with home-based fundraising ideas.
Tracy Rennie, EACH acting chief executive, said: “What we are all facing is unprecedented. We know this is a very challenging and uncertain time for everyone, and for EACH the financial impact is overwhelming. Financial forecasts based on what we know and the rapidly changing situation are extremely concerning, and are likely to get worse. Unlike hospitals, we all rely on the generosity of our donors to fund our services. We receive a tiny amount from the NHS.”
In response to stopping the virus spreading, the charity has suspended planned care activities in the hospice including short breaks and wellbeing therapies.
MORE: ‘Stay at home and save lives’ - coastal MPs back police chief’s messageThe hospice chief added: “Our care service must continue. Our focus is on providing end-of-life care and bereavement support, and working closely with the NHS to provide capacity to care for the sickest children, and responding to urgent requests for care and support as best we can. But we also need to be able to start offering our services to all of the other families as soon as it is safe to do so. We need the help of the public to make that happen.
“We are experiencing a devastating drop in income from donations and the vast majority of our supporters’ fundraising activities, and our own events, have had to be cancelled or postponed.
“The financial impact on our shops is, without exaggeration, huge. Our 43 shops and eBay and Amazon operations are now closed. We normally take £100,000 of income each week – this is now down to zero – this week, next week and who knows how many weeks after that.
“We have always received such fantastic backing from communities right across East Anglia and we are now calling on our amazing supporters to donate what they can or get creative with their at-home fundraising ideas, by visiting www.each.org.uk. Our fundraising teams are working hard from home.”
Visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/each-covid19 to donate.
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