Over £165,000 donated to local hospices

Nettleham Food Store raised £1,300, with large contributions coming from bake sales organised by Angie Canty, Team Leader at the outlet.

Angie Canty said: “I have been personally involved with this hospice. I lost my partner nearly 2 years ago now. After he was diagnosed, he was at St Barnabas Hospice within a couple of days and he died within a week.

“To me, the care they offered was a godsend. Being in a hospital ward with him was just soul destroying, but as soon as we stepped into the door of the hospice it was a completely different atmosphere.

“I couldn’t have him at home, but the hospice was like a home away from home. The staff are lovely, they couldn’t do enough for us even during Covid. It’s been so important to raise money for them, it’s a cause really close to my heart, and I’m chuffed with the total.”

£895.68 pays for a patient to stay in a St Barnabas hospice for specialist 24-hour end–of-life care.

Rebecca Franks, Director of Patient Care at St Barnabas said: “All our care and support are free of charge to the patient as we believe everyone should have access to high-quality, compassionate care when they need it.

“As a charity, we rely on the kind donations of local people, and we put that money right back into their own community. Annually we need to raise over £6.5million to continue providing our service, so this donation is very gratefully received.”

Lincolnshire Co-op colleagues and board members met with the team at St Barnabas, to celebrate the total raised.

Colleagues also visited Butterfly Hospice, which is based in Boston. The hospice received £9,638, which will help to fund a variety of services, from therapy for those dealing with a life-limiting condition or bereavement to kitchen staff who prepare food as and when requested by patients.

Julie Baker, Fundraising Champion at Butterfly Hospice, said: “Working in partnership with other healthcare providers, the hospice provides inpatient facilities, including symptom control, respite, and end-of-life care.

“We rely on the generosity of our community for most of our funding. Our work can only continue with the support of local people, companies, and organisations that give their time and money to fundraise on our behalf.”

Colleagues hosted a special ‘Hearts for Hospices’ fundraising weekend, where they got dressed up and encouraged members and customers to get involved with games and competitions in store.

In total, colleagues raised over £7,500, with Boston branches making large contributions to this total - £986 was raised by Parkside Pharmacy and Argyle Food Store, and Swineshead Pharmacy and Food Store raised a further £864.

Laura Worsley, Senior Community Co-ordinator at Lincolnshire Co-op, said: “We’re so pleased to be able to donate such large sums of money to local hospices, a massive thank you to all our members, colleagues and customers for making this possible.

“Many people in our communities have benefitted from the support of a local hospice and recognise how valuable this was, so everyone has been keen to get involved and contribute to the total.”