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Mar 2024

News

Harrogate hospice launches appeal as it struggles with funding

Published: 9 Mar 2024, 16:00 GMT

by Lauren Ryan

Saint Michael's and Inpatient unit nurse, Tash.

Saint Michael’s Hospice in Harrogate has launched its first mass-public appeal for funding support in more than 10 years as it struggles to keep up with rising costs due to inflation.

The hospice says that despite an increase in government funding of 1.2%, it will still be left with a half a million pound shortfall.

Saint Michael’s offer hospice care, emotional wellbeing and bereavement support to local communities across the Harrogate district both from its Hornbeam Park based hospice and in people’s homes.

However, it is now appealing to people to help it make up spiralling costs from inflation.

A spokesperson from Saint Michael’s said:

"If we cannot raise that extra half a million from inflation which is not being covered by the small increase of 1.2% from the government then our current services at our hospice and in our communities will be under threat and we need to react to that before patients and families are affected.

"We need an immediate boost in funding.”

This is the largest appeal the hospice have done in the last 10 years and their most important yet.

The spokesperson added:

"By ‘mass appeal’ we mean we’re intending to reach even more people than we have ever reached before. This is a multi-faceted campaign utilising all our marketing channels and appealing to not only our existing supporters, but a cold audience in the Harrogate District.

"We have utilised a mail drop with Royal Mail and our appeal leaflet will start to drop on door mats next week, with the intention of spreading the word far and wide about our funding needs."

The charity’s ethos is that no-one should have to face terminal illness alone. They support local people and their families when they need them the most.

Beth's Story:

Beth Crewe, 34, from Knaresborough at just 25 years old following her dad’s short battle with bowel cancer that quickly spread to his brain. She went from preparing to go travelling in South America to comforting her 52-year-old dad Bill in Saint Michael's Hospice when he quickly deteriorated from perfect health to seriously ill.

Bill’s cancer progressed quicker than expected, and after five months, treatment was halted. Just two weeks later, he was rushed to hospital in extreme pain and his family were told to consider what his end-of-life care would look like. It was then Bill moved to Saint Michael's.

Beth said:

“I don’t know what we would have done without (Saint Michael’s). I know that sounds cliché, but it became a bit of an anchor when we had been really lost, and no one had helped us. Saint Michael’s just gave us that chance for us to be altogether and for my dad to be comfortable and worry free. To me, that was the most important thing.”

“Every day felt to me like we were just celebrating being together and having those moments. Dad loved watching films, so we watched all his favourite films, and it wasn’t like we were burdened by anything else going on. It gave us that space to forget about everything.”

End of life care and other vital services provided by the charity will be under threat if they struggle to raise the funds. To find out more about the Saint Michael’s Hospice inflation appeal and to donate click here.

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Harrogate hospice launches appeal as it struggles with funding

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