ADDITIONAL funding has been pledged to support a hospice in its provision of end of life care.

Bury Clinical Commissioning Group confirmed they would give £124,000 to Bury Hospice as a top-up grant for the next 12-month period as in previous years.

This financial support, reviewed on an annual basis, is in addition to the £305,000 that the CCG already gives on a grant basis each year.

Stuart North, Chief Officer and Accountable Officer at Bury CCG, said: "In recognition of the progress Bury Hospice has made in improvements in governance, leadership and direction of travel, we have approved the recurrent request and committed to fund the hospice at the level of the top-of grant which has previously been annually awarded."

Bury CCG Governing Body said during a meeting tonight that it supported the development of a framework which would lead to greater investment in end of life and palliative care services.

Bury Hospice, in Rochdale Old Road, needs around £2.1million each year to run, but only 18 per cent of the funds coming from the NHS.

It also relies on events such as Glaston-Bury, the Bury 10k and Rainbow Colour Run to cover running costs.