Dorset charity Weldmar Hospicecare has set itself an ambitious target of reaching £250,000 during a thirty hour long fundraising marathon, which sees donations made by the public doubled.
Weldmar provide specialist care in Dorset for adults with range of life limiting illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and Motor Neurone Disease, but spiralling costs and increased demand means it currently needs to raise £27,500 every day to keep their services going.
The ‘Making Every Moment Matter’ campaign, which starts at 10am on Sunday 19th May, sees contributions by members of the public, organisations and trust funds matched by other generous donors.
The launch of the appeal follows a debate in the House of Commons on Monday evening, which say West Dorset MP Chris Loder praise the work of the charity, saying, “We cannot speak highly enough of our hospice … we value the Weldmar team so much,” adding that he remains ‘eternally grateful’ for the care given to his aunt a number of years ago.
Mr Loder quoted from an APPG (All Parliamentary Party Group) report into hospice funding, published in January of this year, which says, “Despite statutory guidance, ICB commissioning of hospice services is currently not fit for purpose and the value they provide for individuals and the wider health system is at risk.”
The charity estimates that the cost of providing care will be around a million pounds more than they are able to raise through fundraising and their charity shops in this financial year. This predicted shortfall is the equivalent of the cost of end of life care provision for 438 local people.
Weldmar Hospicecare’s Chief Operating Officer, Matt Smith, says, “This week, MPs in the House of Commons debated hospice funding and the unsustainable funding model across the UK, which is impacting Weldmar Hospicecare’s ability to fund the growing demand for our services. We sincerely hope that the discussion between MPs last night is the start of our hospice care services, and those all across the UK, being funded fairly and sustainably in the future.”
‘Making Every Moment Matter’ will last for thirty hours to reflect thirty years since Weldmar first opened the doors of their Inpatient Unit in Dorchester. Since then, almost 25,000 patients with a life limiting illness have received care, with specialist community nurses, hospice at home, and other services extending across Dorset.
As well as providing care for the patient, Weldmar Hospicecare also provides practical and emotional support for loved ones and family members. Josephine Parker from Weymouth, whose mum Margaret passed away in the charity’s care last year, says, “We couldn’t have done it without them. I couldn’t bear to think about how it would have been if we hadn’t have had Weldmar, as our journey would have been very different. Everyone was amazing. It needs to continue and be supported.”
Fundraising Lead Gloria McCartney says, “Hospice care is not about the end of life. It’s about making every moment matter for the patients in our care and their loved ones. Moments such as the wedding we were able to arrange in 48 hours at our Inpatient Unit recently, or the visit to a music festival that seemed improbable for a patient with MND. Contributing to this campaign on the 19th and 20th of May means that every single pound will have twice the impact in helping our amazing clinical teams deliver moments like these.”
Find out more at weldmarhospicecare.org/moments.
Weldmar making Every Moment Matter Staff Launch
