Morrisons’ trust donation to help fund new hospice care centre

A DONATION of nearly £500,000 has been made towards the building of a new hospice outpatient unit in Yorkshire to improve the lives of terminally ill patients and their families.

The Morrisons Foundation has made the £487,000 donation which will go towards funding a £1.5m redevelopment of the Marie Curie Hospice’s existing day therapy unit in Bradford, which supports about 300 patients and 100 carers every year.

The improvements, the hospice says, will provide a larger space, new facilities and a brighter, more welcoming environment as well as enabling it to double the number of people it can support.

“Their generosity will allow us to improve the lives of many more people in Bradford,” said hospice manager Jo Whincup. “Most imagine that hospices are gloomy places that people go to die. While some of our inpatients will be cared for in their final days, the hospice really is a place of peace, comfort and respite.

“It’s about enabling people to live as well as possible for as long as possible.

“A lot of our work is helping people to maintain their physical and emotional wellbeing and to remain at home with their loved ones for as long as possible.”

Due for completion in 2019, the redevelopment is being funded by contributions from corporate donors and philanthropists including the Sovereign Health Care Community Programme.

Trustees of the Morrisons Foundation, set up by the Bradford-based supermarket, had visited to see first-hand what differences could be made.

One of the trustees, David Scott, said: “The hospice provides incredible support to families across Bradford.”