Christmas post raises £8,400 for patient care

Weston Hospicecare has seen donations boosted by sales of Christmas cards and stamps.

The charity teamed up with mailing company to offer supporters a 5 pence discount on every Christmas card sent.

As well as a saving for supporters, the Hospice received 8 pence per card. Over 16,000 stamps were purchased raising £1,300.

Along with sales of the charity’s own Christmas cards – which raised £7,100 – they have seen a £8,400 boost in donations which will be used to enhance the lives of patients this Christmas.

Everything the Hospice does – from helping patients with symptom control and nutrition to mobility and relaxation – is free of charge. They are dependent on donations for everything they do.

Gill Auden, Chief Executive of the charity, explains why donations at Christmas are so important: “Our care is all about someone’s experience at the end of their life. We have a pivotal role to play in keeping their pain at bay, which, in the later stages of an illness can be unbearable. Once we have that under control their happiness and well-being is as important as anything else.

“The Hospice feels like home at Christmas and we invest a lot of time and thought into making sure our patients are not missing anything they would normally do at home. Donations at Christmas help us to provide the extra touches that add normality at a time when patients could quite easily feel a greater sense of unrest. Thank you to everyone who chose to reach their loved ones with our help this Christmas – you have made a huge impact on local lives.”

This is the second time the charity has teamed up with Onepost: they raised £400 in 2013.

The charity will be selling their Christmas stamps again in 2015 and all cards are now 50 per cent off in all Hospice shops.