Member Article

Charity reveals impact of legacy donations

A charity which provides hospice care to people in their own homes has revealed how leaving money in a Will can make such a crucial difference to the services it provides in North Yorkshire.

After seeing its NHS funding cut by 70% over the last few years, Herriot Hospice Homecare is now more dependent than ever on the donations it receives from members of the community, either in a personal or corporate capacity.

The charity had a major boost recently when it received a number of significant legacies (money left in Wills) from local families. As a result of receiving the donations, the charity has been able to do the following:

• Launch a bereavement service where trained and experienced volunteers provide confidential individual counselling or a drop in support group to those who have suffered bereavement.
• Provide an overnight service, which enables specialist health care assistants to stay in the homes of people in the last few weeks or months of their lives, avoiding the need for them to be admitted to hospital.
• Expanded its therapy service by adding hair, nail and chiropody services, as well as increasing the number of aromatherapy, acupuncture and reflexology sessions the Charity is able to offer.
• Take leases on three charity shops and a second hand furniture and electrical warehouse.

Karen Wilkinson-Bell, Chief Executive of Herriot Hospice Homecare, said: “These legacy donations have enabled us to do so much good for people with life limiting illnesses and with our NHS funding being slashed and a general reduction in charitable donations, it couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for the charity.

“We do, however, want to do so much more, such as building further on our end of life care service and establishing a day hospice outreach service. We know there is a real need for them locally, but we still need to generate significant funding to set them up.”

As part of a wider fundraising initiative launched earlier this month, the charity, which has annual operating costs of £750,000 per year, is particularly keen to secure further legacy donations.

Karen added: “We are so grateful for the support we received from our donors. Some aspect of care for every one of the 720 people we support each year is funded through the generosity of people leaving us a gift in their will.

“Even leaving 1% of your estate could make such a difference to the services we provide. You never know if a member of your family will be affected by a terminal illness, so a gift to Herriot Hospice Homecare is an extra way of making sure that the people you care about, or even people who you have never met, are cared for if they ever need us.

“Any donations, however large or small and whether they are made via a Will or not, have a tangible outcome, for example £100 can help provide two visits by two members of staff to an end of life care patient and a £140 donation can give a carer a decent night’s sleep by paying for an overnight stay by a member of the Herriot Hospice team.”

People and organisations interested in making legacy, or any other, donations to Herriot Hospice Homecare can call 01609 777413. Further information on the type of donations that can be made is also available on the charity’s website – www.herriothh.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Neil Shaefer .