Local hospices receive over £40,000 from the Cumberland Building Society
A donation of more than £40,000 to hospices across Cumbria has provoked an emotional response from nurses working tirelessly to support patients and their families.
The Cumberland Building Society has donated £44,013 which will be shared between Eden Valley Hospice, Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland and Hospice at Home West Cumbria.
The donation has been made during National Hospice Care Week which runs from Monday 9th October to Sunday 15th October and has been made possible thanks to the Cumberland’s Affinity Account savers who have chosen to save and support the local causes closest to their hearts.
Hospice Care Week provides an opportunity to celebrate hospice care nationwide. This year the spotlight is on the incredible hospice workforce.
Eden Valley Hospice staff nurse Alison Foster said: “It’s incredibly moving to think that the Cumberland have donated so much.
“It’s an absolute privilege to work with patients and families in end-of-life care. It is a very sad time but also a very precious time.”
Hospice at Home night shift nurse Lynne Reside said: “Nights can seem very long for patients in bed with their thoughts – and for their families who may be barely sleeping as they are so worried about what is going to happen.
“Just having someone there, outside that close knit circle, who can reassure them and help them feel a little safer can make such a difference.”
Debbie McKenna, chief executive at Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland said: “We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Cumberland Building Society and Affinity Account savers.
“Your support along with your incredible donation will help to ensure patients going through the most difficult of times receive the vital care and support they need.
“These partnerships play a vital role within the charity and without them we simply would not be able to provide the care we do.
“Your kindness and generosity will help to provide local patients and their families with care and comfort all within the home they love.”
Story Homes raises over £11,000 for Cancer Research UK at North West golf day
Local housebuilder Story Homes recently held a corporate golf day, raising over £11,000 for its charity partner, Cancer Research UK.
The golf day, hosted at Worsley Golf Club in Manchester, saw 17 teams of four compete in a Texas scramble style format. Prizes were awarded for nearest to the pin on the 18th hole par 3, longest drive on the 1st hole par 5 and team prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
Teams donated prizes for a charity raffle or offered a charitable donation for hole sponsorship and paid an entry fee with all proceeds going to Cancer Research UK.
Wayne Raistrick, senior quantity surveyor for Story Homes in the North West helped organise the event.
Wayne said: “We wanted to organise an event that would raise a significant amount of money for our charity partner and it was great to see subcontractors, agents and employees come together for this very important cause.
“We were blown away by the generosity of those who attended the golf day and are delighted at the amount we managed to raise. I’d like to thank all those who entered a team and made the event such a success.”
Each year Story Homes colleagues vote for a charity partner to dedicate its colleague and company fundraising to, with activities and events planned throughout the year to raise funds for the charity.
Nicky McKenna, relationship manager for CRUK said: “Cancer Research UK is incredibly grateful that employees of Story Homes organised the fundraising golf day in September.
“In a world where 1 in 2 of us will get cancer, we’d like to sincerely thank everyone involved for helping us to beat cancer.
“Every pound that we receive helps us fulfil our strategy to beat cancer sooner, supporting scientists, doctors and nurses. This money will help fund our ground-breaking research, our work to develop improved cancer drugs and our programme of practical information for people diagnosed with cancer.”
Farrer’s coffee merchants to help raise funds for Project Waterfall during UK Coffee Week
Lake District coffee merchant John Farrer & Co, based in Kendal, is supporting UK Coffee Week 2023 by donating 10% of all online sales to Project Waterfall.
Project Waterfall helps provide access to clean water for the people living in Berbere, a remote area of Ethiopia, where currently 82% of households only have access to water from unprotected sources.
Around the globe more than 771 million people don’t have access to clean water, with the vast majority living in isolated, rural areas.
Rob Baines, Farrer’s general manager, said: “Ethiopia has produced some dynamic coffees that have proved very popular with our customers, so it’s only fitting that the issues faced by people living in the region are addressed.
“Farrer’s is proud to support Project Waterfall through UK Coffee Week to help provide much needed funds so that the people of Berbere, Ethiopia, can have access to sustainable and protected supplies of clean water and sanitation facilities.
“Facilities which will help to create environmental resilience, economic growth and far greater equality.’’
UK Coffee Week runs from Monday 16th to Sunday 22nd October.
Lake District tourism business launches charity pot to support local projects
Organisations from across Cumbria have the chance to benefit from grants being offered by one of the county’s leading tourism businesses to support local charities and community projects.
The family-run Lake District Estates is best known as the company behind the award-winning Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway and Ullswater Steamers, as well as several holiday parks, marina holiday apartments and the Peter Rabbit and Friends and The Veg Patch shops.
The company is offering organisations and individuals the chance to apply for funding from a regular charity pot, with the current round of applications open until Friday 27th October.
There will be future deadlines for further rounds of funding in throughout 2024.
The charity pot is part of a new corporate social responsibility initiative being led by staff to support local communities.
The scheme has already awarded £1,000 to sponsor the Cumbria Cricket Sri Lanka Tour and £150 towards event costs at the Lake District Sheepdog Trials at Ings .
Rachel Bell, head of marketing and business development at Lake District Estates said: “Our newly established corporate social responsibility committee aims to play a positive role in the local areas where Lake District Estates operates, by contributing with charitable donations and providing support to projects, groups, teams and individuals.
“Around ten staff from different parts of the businesses have volunteered to co-ordinate the committee and help us build stronger relationships between businesses and communities.
“We’re also aiming to help tackle some of the social and environmental issues that matter to local people. The new charity pot is just part of that wider activity.”
