Stars Back Hospice Campaign
8:00am Thursday 9th September 2010 in News
Stars Back Hospice Campaign
THE Bury Times is today backing a campaign to raise £2.5 million for a new home for Bury Hospice.
The charity, which cares for terminally-ill people from across the borough, has outgrown its current building in Dumers Lane, Radcliffe.
Planning permission has been granted for a new £5 million state-of-the-art hospice on the site of the former St Bede’s Church in Rochdale Old Road, Bury.
Half the money needed to build, equip and open the new centre has already been raised thanks to large legacies. The hospice now needs to raise the extra £2.5 million — as well as the £1.8 million needed to run the centre each year.
Hospice fundraisers are calling on the generosity of the people of Bury to help them reach their target by 2012.
Michael Garrity, chairman of the hospice’s trustees, said: “Back in the late 1980s the people of Bury raised the money to build the current hospice and each year they help us raise a staggering £1.8 million to pay to keep the doors open.
“We know it’s a big ask, but we are now calling on the people of Bury again to help us raise a further £2.5 million to build a new hospice.”
A special event will be held from 3pm to 7pm today to mark the start of the capital appeal, which is named Building A New Hospice For Bury.
Hospice staff and volunteers will be based at Debenhams, in The Rock, encouraging shoppers to sign up for the campaign.
They will be joined by celebrities Lisa Riley, from Emmerdale, Noreen Kershaw, from Life On Mars and Brookside, and Coronation Street’s Ben Thompson and Sam Aston.
Former Hollyoaks star Gemma Atkinson has also pledged her support for the appeal. The department store agreed to host the launch on the day of its mega sale after adopting the hospice as its local charity.
As well as fundraising for the new hospice, staff and volunteers have to raise the money needed to pay for the day-to-day running of the existing centre.
It provides palliative care for around 350 patients and their families each year, but less than 20 per cent of its funding comes from the NHS.
The extra 80 per cent is collected at local fundraising events, the hospice shops and its lottery.
Mr Garrity added: “The money for the new hospice is over and above the £1.8 million we have to raise each year to provide our current level of support and services free of charge.
“Please don’t just divert your giving to the Building A New Hospice For Bury campaign, think of new and original fundraising challenges you can achieve to help us raise our target.”
Donations to the appeal can be made by contacting the campaign hotline on 0161 763 1545.
Alternatively, log on to justgiving.com/A-New-Hospice-for-Bury.
Every week, we will give updates on the appeal and tell the stories behind why the hospice is so precious to the people of the borough.
Progress can also be followed on a special Hospice Appeal section on our website burytimes.co.uk or radcliffetimes.co.uk and campaign blog buildinganewhospiceforbury.blogspot.com
