Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice
calls for urgently needed help and launches Resilience Fund Appeal
Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, Birmingham and Sandwell’s hospice charity, has launched its Resilience Fund Appeal to help cope with the effects of COVID-19 and keep its services running.
Doctors, nurses and frontline staff at Birmingham St Mary’s have been caring for people with life-limiting illnesses throughout the coronavirus crisis – including those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The charity has also been working in partnership with GPs, district nurses and the NHS to ensure its incredible care has been offered to all who need it.
But, the charity has seen a huge drop in its income during the pandemic. All 17 of its charity shops had to temporarily close, and all community activities, corporate partnerships and fundraising events have been postponed. It costs £23,288 to run the hospice every day; £14,000 of this coming from fundraising and donations.
The Resilience Fund Appeal is a call to the people of Birmingham and Sandwell for urgent help to keep these vital services running. The appeal’s logo is a white feather, symbolising the memories of loved ones who are no longer with us, but also as a sign of hope and determination that brighter days are ahead. Birmingham St Mary’s has created Remembrance Feathers and is asking the local community to write messages of personal remembrance and celebration, to then be sent back to the Hospice. The team will then create a moving display at the Hospice in Selly Park in loving memory of those who have been lost.
Katy O’Sullivan, Birmingham St Mary’s Head of Philanthropy said:
We need our community to support us more than ever right now. With their incredible help, and despite all the restrictions, we’ve been able to bring peace, comfort and dignity to so many local people in their final days. But now we face many more exceptionally challenging months – bringing major new challenges that we will not be able to overcome without our community’s continued support.
We need help to be able to offer dignified, compassionate, end-of-life care to those who need it at the Hospice in the coming months. We need help to care for those who will remain isolated at home, trying to cope with their long-term life-limiting illness. And we need help to reach all those who will have to cope with the tragic death of a loved one.
Birmingham St Mary’s has been the hospice charity for Birmingham and Sandwell for over 40 years. Everyday Birmingham St Mary’s supports and care for more than 500 people living with life-limiting illnesses across Birmingham and Sandwell.
As a thank you for donations received to the Resilience Fund Appeal, Birmingham St Mary’s is offering to send donors a white feather pin badge, so local people can show their support for the Hospice. These pin badges will also be available directly from Birmingham St Mary’s, for a suggested minimum donation of £3 per badge.
People wanting to find out more about the appeal and donate should visit birminghamhospice.org.uk/resilience or call St Mary’s fundraising team on 0121 752 8779.
