Prospect Hospice's fundraising struggles during the pandemic led to some services being cut.

The charity's new boss Jeremy Lune told the Adver that his top priority was to raise awareness of the hospice's work, get back out into the community, and put a plan together that leads to more investment.

Prospect receives some funding from the NHS but relies mostly on donations to continue providing end-of-life care and other support to people in the Swindon area.

Covid prevented most of the usual fundraising events from going ahead, which led to a £2 million loss.

This meant fewer beds were available and some extra activities like the day therapy had to be stopped entirely.

Mr Lune said: "We cut a lot of services - we're down to six beds out of 12, and the day therapy area is currently an empty meeting room.

"We are feeling the pinch, but if people can see the difference they are making and hear stories that resonate, we can support more people and recruit highly-skilled volunteers to help us.

"The more people there are who feel they would like to support us, the more we can invest in services.

"We are at a very exciting time in the history of Prospect. In the last few years, we have been quite inward-looking because of Covid. Now, we're starting to look outward again."

At an event held at the hospice on Thursday, guests could meet the new boss and view an exhibition from Hospice UK which includes moving displays of relatives talking about their deceased loved ones.

Nancy Heath said a few words about how the hospice helped her husband Ashley in his final days.

Jeremy Lune added: "It all starts with these conversations about death. The more people talk about and understand it, the less fear they will have about the hospice environment.

"It's not a gloomy place, I've never worked in a building that's so full of compassion, humanity, and love.

"The vision is for a community where death is not a taboo, and where people have a right to live and die well.

"It's a real privilege to be part of an organisation that's supported the community I've lived in for 36 years."

Next on Prospect's calendar is the return of the Starlight Walk on Saturday, June 24 at Swindon Town Football Club.

Entry costs £15 and participants can set off on a 15km route at 8.30pm or a 10km route at 9pm.

Visit www.prospect-hospice.net/starlight