THAMES Hospice is celebrating a successful week of community support amid festive fundraising efforts but is urging local residents to sustain their generosity over the Christmas period.
The charity says the wider Home for Christmas appeal still has a ‘significant way to go’ to hit its goal.
The hospice successfully completed its first-ever Big Give Christmas Challenge, raising a total of £46,363.
This means it significantly surpassed its £40,000 target and securing vital match funding to keep its Hospice at Home team on the road.
This success was compounded by the popular Santa Dash on Sunday last week, where over 300 participants in Santa suits and reindeer antlers raced through Swinley Forest.
The event raised over £15,000 for patient care.
Despite the successes of the Big Give and Santa Dash, the Hospice’s ‘Home for Christmas’ Appeal has a considerable distance to go to meet its fundraising goal.
Thames Hospice needs to raise £39,000 each day to fund its services, and the increased operational costs put greater pressure on its fundraising efforts.
The charity is appealing to the community to make a donation to their ‘Home for Christmas’ Appeal to sustain their Hospice at Home services throughout the new year, stressing that every single contribution, no matter the size, makes a critical difference to patient care.
Jane Symmons, Fundraising Director at Thames Hospice, said: “We are absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of our community.
“To smash our Big Give target and see over 300 Santas racing for us on Sunday is an amazing Christmas gift.
“However, as we celebrate, the reality is that the financial pressure on the hospice continues to grow.”
She explained: “We face a significant increase in running costs – just the rise in the National Minimum Wage this year adds approximately £500,000 to our annual bill.
“While we secured over £46,000 this week, we urgently need the community’s continued support to help us close the gap and reach the target of our wider ‘Home for Christmas’ Appeal, ensuring we can continue to be there for every local family who needs us, free of charge.”
She added: “A twenty pound donation could cover the cost of fuel for four important visits to patients.”
More information about Thames Hospice’s ongoing Home for Christmas appeal, including how to donate, is available via: thameshospice.org.uk
