Charity’s cash plea over threat to hospice Sue Ryder bosses warn Thorpe Hall could close

An emergency appeal has been launched to save Thorpe Hall Hospice as Sue Ryder tries to make up £12 million funding gap.

The charity runs Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice, which is the only specialist palliative care inpatient unit in Peterborough. Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice provides care for people with life-limiting conditions, as well as supporting their families.

Before the Coronavirus struck, statutory funding only covered about one third of the costs involved in running the charity’s end of life care.

Sue Ryder bridged that gap with fundraising efforts and income from its 450 shops nationwide. With fundraising events now cancelled and its shops closed, the charity has a matter of months before it will have to close its hospices and hospice at home services across the country.

Sue Ryder will have a funding gap of £12 million over the next three months. Without immediate financial support, the critical end of life care that Sue Ryder provides to thousands each year will cease.

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