Beaumond House Community Hospice needs more than £1m a year to provide their services.

A charity that provides palliative care for hundreds of patients is facing a £100,000 shortfall and needs the community’s help to ensure its future.

Beaumond House Community Hospice in Newark was the winner of the 2019 Newark Business Awards Customer Care category and is determined its unique service should continue for many years to come.

But it needs more than £1m a year to ensure that can happen. It receives about 40% of that from the NHS leaving more than £½m to be found from the community.

At the moment the hospice is expecting a shortfall of £100,000 by the end of the financial year (March 2020) so needs help.

Louise Sinclair, head of clinical services, said patients and their families comment on how important the hospice is to them, providing a local service which gives supportive palliative care for Newark and surrounding villages.

“From the moment someone comes through the door at Beaumond House our aim is for them to feel welcome, safe and listened to,” she said.

“We only get one chance for the care we provide to make a difference, helping people to make the most of whatever time they have left.”

Fundraising and marketing manager Cathy Lowe said they were taking many steps to increase the hospice income but they need to raise more funds to continue.

“Increasing challenges on care standards mean the costs of keeping this fantastic service open are growing,” she said.

“We are once again appealing to the incredible kindness and generosity of the local people to help us.”

Three years ago 300 people signed up to a regular giving agreement following an appeal for help in the Advertiser.

That helped to raise an extra £30,0000, which Cathy would love to repeat.

“This income is so very valuable to us because we know we can rely on it. It can be as small or large as you like, and once set up, you don’t have to do anything until you choose to change the arrangement,” she said

“Setting up a regular donation is so easy. It can be done on line or by completing one of our forms and returning it to us or your bank. It can also be done online via our Just Giving page and clicking on make a regular donation.”

An open day and coffee morning will be held at the hospice on Saturday where the public can find more about its services and see if facilities first hand . The event will also give people the opportunity to find out how they can support the hospice, make a donation or collect a regular giving form.

“All support is so very much welcomed and appreciated,” said Cathy.

Beaumond House has been committed to providing supportive palliative care to patients and their families living in Newark and district since 1987.

It has four in-patient beds for people with palliative care needs, and offers day therapy as well as a Hospice at Home service, providing compassionate support in the community.

There is also a Resource and Information Service based at Beaumond House.