Two hospices have teamed up to raise awareness of the role they and other hospices play in supporting individuals and their families needing end-of-life care.
Prospect Hospice, which supports people across Swindon, Marlborough and north Wiltshire. and Dorothy House, which operates in Bath and North East Somerset, and parts of Somerset and Wiltshire, are joining forces to mark Hospice Care Week 2024, which runs from Monday, October 7, to Sunday, October 13.
This year, the focus is on hospice retail, highlighting the role it plays in funding hospice services.
Jeremy Lune, CEO of Prospect Hospice, said: "Our 18 shops are vital to contributing to the work we do.
"In fact, we receive more money from our Prospect Hospice shops each year than we do from our government. Which is amazing and quite scary at the same time.
"Every item our supporters buy from us, and every item we receive makes a difference.
"Buying a £1 book is the equivalent to three cups of tea for a grieving family... your purchases are vital."
Wayne de Leeuw, CEO of Dorothy House Hospice Care, added: "With over 27 Dorothy House shops across our 800 square mile patch, we are indebted to our community, our staff, and our army of volunteers for helping us to raise vital income that simply isn’t matched by government funding.
"With each warehouse sale we run, we sell an average of 15 rails of clothing - that’s over 14,000 garments saved from landfill each year.
"For every penny you spend in our stores, you’re supporting local hospice care and preserving our planet."
Throughout Hospice Week 2024, both hospices will host a range of events, sales, and activities to underline the significance of hospice care and its impact on the lives it touches.
By collaborating, Prospect Hospice and Dorothy House aim to raise awareness of hospice care, challenge misconceptions, and motivate the community to support their work through donations, shopping second-hand, volunteering in shops, and Gift Aid.
For those interested in a role in retail, career opportunities are also available.
The hospices said: "We’ll be celebrating the amazing contribution of hospice shops, the people behind them, as well as highlighting our work to government because funding has not kept pace with need and rising costs."
Prospect Hospice has been providing the only dedicated end-of-life care service for people living across north east Wiltshire including Swindon, Marlborough and Royal Wootton Bassett since 1980.
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