The Heart of England Co-operative Society gives £3000 boost to RNIB pears centre

MEMBERS OF THE HEART OF ENGLAND CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY HELP BOOST VITAL FUNDS FOR THE MARY ANN EVANS HOSPICE

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Hospice voted among top three charities to receive a share of donations worth £5,000

The Mary Ann Evans Hospice in Nuneaton was awarded the cash after Society members were asked to vote for their favourite charities to receive a share of £5,000 from the retailer’s profits.

The money will be used towards the hospice’s £1.4 million annual running costs which fund a range of services for over 18s including a day hospice, hospice at home service for end of life care, and a lymphoedema service, as well as a bereavement support service for adults and children.

The donation comes as the hospice marks its 25th anniversary this year.

Jacqueline Leake, Fundraising Manager, said with the hospice relying on public generosity for more than 70 per cent of its £2,500 daily running costs, the donation was warmly received by staff and volunteers alike.

She said the amount received from the Society could fund the hospice at home service for 60 hours. She added: “We are a local charity and independent of other hospices. This ensures all money received locally goes where our donors intend it. Ninety pence of every £1 donated goes on our services which are free at point of delivery, but are not free to provide.
 
“Gifts such as this from the Society enable us to continue our caring and provide appropriate support for our patients and their families as and when it is needed.”

The hospice was one of three local charities and worthy causes to receive a share of the money.

The donation followed the Society’s annual survey which was circulated alongside its calendar to more than 100,000 members across the trading area in Coventry, Warwickshire, south Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, asking them to vote for the cause they felt most deserved a slice of the cash.

The cash came from the Society’s Helping Hearts Awards Scheme which shares a percentage of its profits among charities and community groups and projects within the area.

With the most votes the RNIB Pears Centre in Ash Green, a specialist school for blind and partially sighted children and young people, received £3,000.

Marie Curie, which provides care and support for terminally ill people and their families, received £1,000.

Ali Kurji, Chief Executive of the Society, said: “Once again our loyal members have come out in force for the benefit of these fantastic charities. For a quarter of a century the Mary Ann Evans Hospice has provided expert care for people with a life-limiting or terminal condition, enabling them to continue to live as full a life as they can for as long as possible. It is clearly a cause close to the hearts of many of our citizens throughout Nuneaton, Coventry and Warwickshire.”

He added: “On behalf of the Society I would like to thank all members who took part in the survey and who have each played a part in providing support to those in our community who need it the most.”

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