Many of you reading this are among an amazing group of people who chose to support our work through regular giving—whether through monthly lottery subscriptions or donations made monthly or at other regular intervals through your bank.
Regular income such as this is as welcome as it is important; it helps us plan and control our spending and service provision. But have you ever stopped to consider what we actually do with that income and whether your contributions truly make a difference?
This is what regular giving really means to us: it’s the matchless care and compassion that is so freely given to our inpatients and their families under often difficult circumstances by our remarkable team of doctors and nurses, paid for by regular donations such as yours; it’s the facilities and services we deliver to all our outpatients and their loved ones from our highly respected Living Well Centre—including therapies, activities, peer support groups, practical advice and support—all funded by regular income; and it’s our remarkable bereavement counselling service, delivered by a leading team of experts, which is continually changing the lives of so many children who have been deeply affected by the loss of a loved one.
No other organisation provides this vital support for local children, and it’s all made possible by regular givers like you. That’s the real difference your regular donation makes to us, and why your continued support is so important. Regular income is a big reason why we can keep doing what we do for so many local people.
It means so much to them—just read what Alice Little has to say about what the hospice means to her: “We sadly lost our wonderful Ben in August last year at the age of 35, only three short months after he was diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Ben was, without a doubt, the best person I have ever met. He was my person. Everyone who met Ben loved him—loved his charm, his cheekiness, his kindness and his willingness to do anything for anyone.
The Hospice of the Good Shepherd became a lifeline for us during the three weeks that Ben was an inpatient there. The level of care that Ben, and also I, received was nothing short of incredible. Nothing was too much trouble. Even after Ben’s death, the Hospice’s support remains and I continue to receive counselling to help navigate through my grief.
After Ben was admitted to the Hospice, we were shocked to hear how much they have to rely on fundraising and donations.
The thought that this invaluable service has an uncertain future doesn’t bear thinking about. These wonderful people do not get nearly enough credit or funding for the work that they do. Ben was in agreement, and even as his illness progressed, he was passionate about raising money for the Hospice and keen to make sure their work was recognised.
I want to do my bit to make sure that families in the future, who may find themselves in the same awful position that we did, receive the care and support they deserve at the worst time of their lives.”