"We will lose £300,000 worth of shop income this spring" - Florence Nightingale Hospice CEO Jo Turner

Florence Nightingale Hospice CEO Jo Turner explains the frightening challenges that the charity, and service is facing at this time...

As you can imagine, the coronavirus emergency has created a huge amount of disruption for the Charity and the Hospice. Given all the changes to our normal operations, we wanted to share with you what the current situation is.

Essential services are still being delivered by the Hospice teams but with adaptations to ensure the safety of our patients and staff.

The In-Patient Unit is operating normally apart from visitor restrictions which allow only one nominated visitor to visit a patient who is at the very end of life. This is incredibly difficult for staff and family alike.

Day Hospice was closed in mid-March as all of our patients are in the high risk group. Day Hospice Lead Tracey Batt is supporting patients on the phone. The Lymphoedema Clinic is also closed except for phone support.

The Community Palliative Care Team is in contact with all their patients regularly as usual, mostly via phone, while the FNH@Home Nurses and Healthcare Assistants are making home visits to support patients and families and administer medication as usual.

The Bereavement Support Service is still providing full support, but via phone or video call. Bereavement Listeners are available to talk to anyone who is struggling with feelings of grief and loss, and we know that this is particularly likely now when families can’t share their loved ones’ dying moments or get together to grieve at funerals. Please contact the Hospice on 01296 332 600 if you would like to talk to a Bereavement Listener.

In these challenging times we are determined to continue providing care where needed, both in the Hospice and at home.

Footfall in our shops was down by mid-March, and most of our Shops closed during the week commencing 23rd March following the Government guidance. We anticipate that the charity will lose £300,000 worth of shop income this Spring.

Events such as the Easter Egg Tombola, Bingo and the Music Quiz had to be cancelled, while others have been postponed, such as the Midnight Walk and the Ridgeway Walk.

Many of our challenge fundraisers have been disappointed by the cancellation of the London Marathon, and other eventsmany more, . This also meaning s that they cannot complete their challenge and raise sponsorship money for the Hospice.

We estimate that fundraising income to the Charity will be down by £350,000 for the period April-June.

The Government has announced new support for charities whicho have lost income streams because events and challenges have been cancelled or their shops have been closed. Unfortunately, Florence Nightingale

Hospice Charity does not qualify for the financial

aid promised to hospices, because we share the funding of the Hospice with the NHS. This presents us with an enormous task – how to make this shortfall up once the lockdown begins to ease.

Additionally, we are really missing our volunteers, fundraisers and donors and all the many people who

support the charity and the Hospice in so many different ways.

We hope you are all staying well and safe.