Kentish Express Ashford & District
Hospices at risk of closure as vital funding dries up
The coronavirus crisis has left Kent’s hospices facing financial disaster and some at risk of closure.
Vital cash streams have dried up as fundraising events have been axed and charity shops closed as part of strict lockdown measures.
Bosses at the Heart of Kent Hospice in Aylesford say its future is at risk.
The charity, which supports patients in Maidstone, Tonbridge and Malling, needs to raise £324,300 every month to provide care.
It says it is currently using its reserves to continue to support terminally ill people through the outbreak, but fears the savings will run out later this year if it does not receive help soon.
Sarah Pugh, hospice chief executive, said: “Our services have always been very dependent on the support of our local community, but most of this income has vanished overnight.
“We understand that times are hard for many at the moment, but ask you to please give what you can.”
To donate to the hospice, call 01622 790195 or send a cheque to Heart of Kent Hospice, Preston Hall, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 7PU.
In Northfleet, ellenor hospice is also appealing for donations following predictions of a £1.1millon fall in financial support. It needs to raise £7m each year to continue to provide its vital care services.
It has launched an emergency fighting fund at ellenor.org.
The Pilgrims Hospice, which has centres in Canterbury, Ashford and Thanet, needs to raise £11 million a year to operate, but has seen half of its regular income disappear.
Its acting chief executive Helen Bennett says its losses will amount to about £300,000 a month, plus a further £100,000 from cancelled or postponed community fundraising activities.
“We are still encouraging people to continue to donate but also appreciate it’s a difficult time for many who may be uncertain about their jobs and income,” she said.
“We are also working very closely with the East Kent Hospitals’ Trust to open four extra beds for non-coronavirus patients at each of our sites to take some of the strain off their acute beds. That may provide some extra income, but the main purpose is to help the NHS as this difficult time.
“We will have to use our reserves to get by and Hospice UK is also talking to the government about what additional support it can give.”
There are similar difficulties for Demelza House at Bobbing, near Sittingbourne, which cares for terminally ill children and has to raise more than £9 million to support its work.
It has 15 beds for terminally ill children and supports up to 750 families every year with its outreach work.
Chief executive Ryan Campbell estimates his charity’s loss of income at £250,000 a month.
“We have 28 shops and this has come out of the blue and hit us badly,” he said.
“It’s devastating because only 12% of our funding comes from the government. It now means we have very little income and no opportunity to raise money because we have had to cancel our fundraising activities.
“We will use our reserves to get by and have been fortunate to recently receive a sizeable legacy.
“It won’t knock us over and we are determined to pull through, but it will leave us with no money at all at the end of it.”
‘We are determined to pull through, but it will leave us with no money at all at the end of it’