Aylesbury hospice charity seeks to raise funds to maintain vital services amid impact of coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic is having a serious impact on local hospices as they strive to keep vital services running to support patients with life-limiting illness and their families.
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Stewart Marks, Chief Executive of Rennie Grove Hospice Care explains how the charity is responding to the crisis: “Our absolute priority is to make sure that our hospice at home service for adults and children continues to offer care, day and night, to give our patients the choice to be at home with their families where most of them desperately want to be. And by making this possible, we also keep the pressure off the NHS by keeping people out of hospital wherever we can.

“It is vitally important to keep our patients, staff and volunteers safe which has led to us closing our day services and offering these patients further support at home if needed. Our Family Support services are still running, providing most of its crucial support over the phone.”

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Rennie Grove receives just 11% of its funding from the NHS, which means it needs to raise over £20,000 every day to keep its services running. Mr Marks continues: “The stark truth is that we are finding this impossible in the current climate. We are having to cancel many of our fundraising activities and have had to close our charity shops to keep our staff, volunteers and customers safe.

Rennie Grove Hospice CareRennie Grove Hospice Care
Rennie Grove Hospice Care

“While we aren’t able to run events and community activities or open our shops, we can bring people together online and we are launching some new digital fundraising initiatives including a Facebook Fundraiser to highlight that we need the support of local people now more than ever. If you are able to help us reach our £100,000 target for the fundraiser by donating whatever you can afford, it would be very much appreciated.”

Stewart Marks concludes: “We know that people everywhere are being hit hard by the effects of this pandemic but I am heartened by the many examples we are seeing every day of communities coming together to ensure that local people get the support they need. We know that our service is highly valued by the local community and I very much hope that those who can will support us to get through these challenging times. Thank you to everyone who helps keep our nurses caring, we really couldn’t do it without you.”

How you can help:

Make a donation at: www.renniegrove.org/donateDonate to the new online fundraiser at: www.Bit.ly/RGFacebookFundraiser or www.JustGiving.com/campaign/RennieGroveneedsyouBuy a virtual brick for Easter at: www.renniegrove.org/brickbybrickVisit the Rennie Grove eBay shop at: www.ebay.co.uk/str/renniegrovehospicecareRennie Grove Hospice Care gives adults and children in Buckinghamshire and west Hertfordshire who have a life-limiting illness the choice to live as well as possible at home surrounded by family, friends and the things that matter to them most right until the end.