Thank you for the birthday gifts!

“I don’t think there are many people in Central Lancashire who don’t know it was our 30th anniversary in 2015,” says Lorraine Charlesworth, Director of Income Generation at St Catherine’s Hospice.

“We have worked really hard to get the message out there in the community, and have been so grateful for the support we’ve received from the Evening Post and Chorley Guardian in helping us to do that.

“St Catherine’s is a local charity which was inspired by local people more than 30 years ago and is only here today, three decades later, because of the incredible on-going support we receive. It was important to us to mark that amazing achievement with our supporters and involve them as much as possible in our celebrations – which have, of course, at the same time raised vital funds to help us continue our important work in 2016 and beyond.”

A big part of their anniversary celebrations was the launch of the Give A Gift appeal – a list of 30 different things we hoped to achieve in 2015 with the help of their supporters. The birthday gift list contained a variety of things, covering everything from signing up as a lottery member to becoming a friend on Facebook; fundraising for medical equipment to taking part in one of the our 30th anniversary events.

Lorraine said: “The idea behind the Give A Gift campaign was to highlight lots of different ways that people could get involved, in the hope that there was something on the list which appealed to everyone.

“St Catherine’s depends on fundraising and donations to be able to continue our work, but the hospice relies on more than just money – people can support us by giving their valuable time as a volunteer, or by helping to spread the word about the value of hospice care on social media. By launching an appeal which encompassed all of these different and important elements, rather than simply working towards a monetary total, the campaign has helped promote the variety of work that goes into St Catherine’s throughout our 30th year.”

It is clear from the list here that the community responded with excitement and enthusiasm, with the result thatt we have ticked off nearly all the items on their list.

Lorraine thanked everyone for their fantastic contributions and said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support we have received this year – we have always known our supporters are fantastic, but for our 30th they have really pulled out all the stops!

“It has been wonderful hearing the stories of people who have got involved and why they have been inspired to do so – from the gentleman who counted up the spare change he had collected over the years and pledged it to the appeal, to the talented baker who created our beautiful 30th birthday cake.

“The nursing and medical equipment gifts were particularly popular and we managed to achieve our target several times over in some cases which is brilliant. Items like a specialist bed and mattress or nebuliser – used to help those with respiratory conditions – make a real, tangible difference to the lives of people facing conditions like cancer, motor neurone disease and heart failure.”

A few gaps remain on our wish list, including their most ambitious target of redecorating corridors and communal areas on the 19-bed in-patient unit.

Lorraine explained: “We may now have started 2016, but we would still be very interested in hearing from any local businesses who might be able to help us out with this work by providing their services ‘in kind’ as a belated birthday gift.

“We’re looking for painters, decorators, and carpet fitters and retailers to help give this important patient area a spruce up, ensuring it is as welcoming and attractive to patients and their visitors as possible. We have made good progress in raising funds towards a refurbishment of our in-patient unit conservatory thanks to the generosity of one of our late patients’ family and friends, but assistance from glazing or furniture companies who could offer their services or discounted rates would also be so appreciated.”

Despite such a successful year, St Catherine’s is realistic about the challenges that lie ahead, not least the annual task of raising £3.7m of their £5m yearly running costs.

Lorraine said: “At St Catherine’s we will never become complacent and will always value the contribution of each and every one of our supporters. After such an amazing 12 months, what we must do now is carry that momentum forward into 2016 – but we can’t do that without your help!

“We hope all that has been achieved in 2015 will inspire people to support St Catherine’s in the coming weeks and months ahead when once again we have an action-packed calendar. So whether you want to take part in a sponsored walk, run or cycle, dance the night away at our Summer Ball or Bollywood Night, or watch Will Young on stage at Symphony at the Tower, we hope we’ve got something to interest you.

“Your contribution will help us to continue making a difference to local people when it really matters most today, and for another 30 years.”

Share with your friends!