Photo above: Vicki Jones, Store Manager of The Co-operative at New Bilton, (second right) with (from left) Myton Hospice staff – Noelle Hampson, Staff Nurse; Helen Siddaway, Sister; Sandra Pitt, Senior Staff Nurse and Bertie Girvan, Nursing Assistant.
Friday, March 20, 2020
Customers who have bought 5p carrier bags from the Heart of England Co-operative Society food stores have helped raise another £25,000 for local charities and causes.
The latest round takes the total from Society carrier bag sales over the past four years to £175,000.
With the most amount of votes in each of their respective areas Sherbourne Fields School in Coventry, Abbey Theatre in Nuneaton, Age UK Leicester Shire in Earl Shilton, Wellesbourne
Youth Service, and Myton Hospice in Rugby each received £2,500.
With the second highest number of votes £1,500 was awarded to Mercia MS Therapy Centre in Coventry, Age UK in Nuneaton, Stoney Stanton Library, The Kenilworth Centre and Rugby Dementia Support.
Coventry’s Theatre Absolute, Brandon Live in Nuneaton, the Concordia Theatre in Hinckley, Warwick Vision Support and Crick Village Hall in Crick, near Rugby, each received £1,000 after attracting the third highest number of votes.
Operating three facilities in Warwick, Rugby and Coventry, The Myton Hospices last year supported more than 1,800 people and their families.
The charity has to raise £9.2 million of the £12 million it costs each year to continue providing its range of patient and family support services both at the hospices and in the patients’ homes.
Running costs at Rugby include:
- £106 for a Myton At Home nurse to visit a patient in their own home
- £158 to fund a patient for one day at Rugby Day Unit
- £1,110 total operational costs for one day in Rugby Day Unit
The hospice recently launched a range of wellbeing services at the day unit to help patients with a life-limiting illness to live well for longer, and to give support to their families and carers.
The services include an outpatient Living Well Programme for those who are in the early days of their illnesses, a Fatigue and Breathlessness Programme, for patients with a life-limiting condition who also suffer from fatigue and / or anxiety, therapeutic days for people who are looking to improve their day-to-day wellbeing and quality of life, and weekly drop-in sessions for patients and relatives or carers to take part in activities or socialise with others living through a similar experience.
Hannah Morris, Partnerships Manager Corporate & Trust Fundraising at The Myton Hospices, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded such an incredible amount through the Heart of England Co-operative Society carrier bag funds.
“Thank you to everyone who voted for us and to the Society for putting us forward for nominations. We have to raise £9.2 million this year to continue providing our services free of charge and this wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the support of the local community and organisations.”
Government statistics show that in 2014 customers used more than 7.6 billion single-use bags, equating to 61,000 tonnes or 140 bags for every person in Britain.
After the levy was introduced in 2015 sales of the bags in major supermarkets fell by 86 per cent, equating to just 19 bags per person in 2016/17.
By 2018 the number of bags sold had further fallen, with 1.75 billion sold during the year.
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