A CHARITY that offers palliative and day therapy care says it could be forced to shut down its services due to a £12 million funding gap, after its usual fundraising activities have been put on hold due to the coronavirus.
Sue Ryder, which runs services at Wokingham Day Hospice and the Palliative Care Hub Berkshire in Newbury, says the emergency appeal aims to save to save its end of life services.
It says that statutory funding only covered approximately one third of the costs involved in running the charity’s end of life care.
The charity raised the rest from fundraising events and income from its 450 shops nationwide.
But events are now cancelled and shops are closed – leaving it with a £12 million funding gap over the next three months.
Sue Ryder warns that without immediate financial support, the critical end of life care that Sue Ryder provides to thousands of families each year will cease and it would be forced to close its hospices and hospice at home services across the country.
The funding shortfall comes at a time when the NHS is relying on Sue Ryder to support them in caring for thousands of families as part of the fight against Covid-19.
The charity continues to plead with the Government for emergency funding, but in desperation has now turned to the public in a bid to save its hospices.
Heidi Travis, Chief Executive at Sue Ryder, said: “We have been calling on the Government to support us but no funding has materialised.
“The country will lose its hospices at a time when they are needed most.
“This is a plea and no less, we cannot wait any longer.
“Our doctors and nurses are working night and day to provide end of life care to more people now and in the coming weeks, than ever before.
“We are a critical front-line support service in the fight against Coronavirus yet we are on the brink of closure.
“We are all facing something we have never faced before and we are asking the public to give whatever you can afford to help us to help those who need it most.”
To make a donation, log on to www.sueryder.org/donate
