The Covid-19 pandemic has cost the hospice £600,000 in income this year
Despite all your fantastic support since lockdown, we still have a ‘mountain to climb’ to avoid permanent damage to the outstanding service offered to the people of St Helens and Knowsley.
Our Government support comes to an end this month and so we have to stand on our own. We are continuing our conversations with local businesses along with other organisations to explore any support they can give us and it is right at this point that we recognise and thank the numerous individuals and organisations that have helped us with donations of PPE, homemade face coverings and visors and communication devices to help patients video call with their families during the restrictions for visitors.
We have even been donated funding to buy covered pergolas which will help to reduce the impact that social distancing regulations place on our Sunflower Café at The Living Well and received many other very kind donations and offers of support.
We certainly appreciate our Willowbrook Community for rallying to support us in so many ways; there have been actual and virtual running events, walking and cycling challenges, street bingo, zoom quizzes, plant sales, cake raffles and head and beard shaving. We have had Melissa’s walk and Max’s bike ride to name but a few of the fantastic young people who have been inspired to help us. We even had Donald’s walk, 26 miles in 26 days despite having COPD, amazing! There are many more examples of courage and kindness on our Just Giving, Charity Checkout, Virgin Money and Go Fund Me sites.
It is impossible to name everyone, although we would like to but you are all Amazing!. Thanks must also go to our regular givers, our ‘in memoriam’ donors, our lottery entrants and our shop and café customers.
Since July, we have been able to open some of our shops and the Sunflower Café and as always our wonderful volunteers have answered our call and returned ready to do whatever is needed of them.
Like all of you, we know we must get through this and continue to deliver care to the people of St Helens & Knowsley at a time of their life when they need us most. To illustrate this, I share with you a message we received along with a recent donation:
“All my thanks to the amazing team at Willowbrook. You enabled my dear wife and I to enjoy life to the full in her final weeks”.
This is a very special place and now, more than ever, we need your help
Thank you from all in the Fundraising Team