Tonight sees the end of an incredibly tough week. I have worked at Overgate Hospice for 14 years and I have never known a week like this one. We have had to make difficult decisions about our services in order to keep our vulnerable patients safe. We have already begun to feel the impact on our income as our shops fell quiet and we postponed many of our upcoming events. Despite this, we must look forward and work out how we can work through these challenges to continue to give the amazing care we give and generate income in the extraordinary ways we do.
We have been overwhelmed by the messages of support we have received, with many people asking how they can help in the coming weeks. We know that for many, this week has brought huge financial uncertainty however if you would like to support our nursing and medical team, who are continuing to care for our community tonight, this is how we need your help:
Shops
This has been a tough week for our 14 charity shops which we are desperately trying to keep open for as long as it is safe to do so. We rely heavily on over 400 volunteers to keep our shops open, raising money for the Hospice. As the week has gone on, many of our volunteers have reluctantly made the understandable decision to follow the government’s advice and stay at home. This has inevitably put a strain on the remaining team but we are exceptionally proud and grateful to everyone who has worked to keep every one of our shops open. We are making plans to sell more stock online through our eBay store should we be forced to close and our team remain committed to doing whatever they can to support the care we provide. If you are able to visit our shops this weekend, please do. They are stocked full of toys, books and games to keep everyone entertained during the coming weeks.
Events
At the beginning of the week we made the difficult decision to postpone all of our events up to the middle of June. This included our Fashion Show, our Garden Party and our Rainbow of Ribbons Open Garden. We are hoping that we will still be able to hold these events at a later date. If you have already signed up for one of our 2020 events, our Fundraising Team will be in touch very soon. We are exploring all options to go ahead with our Summer events including looking at virtual event options so please keep your eyes peeled for updates and get involved if you can!
Fundraising
Our general fundraising has been hugely affected already this week. Social distancing guidance from the government limits the activities our Fundraisers can plan. We have had to cancel schools fundraising; as the high streets becomes quieter, our collecting tins will see less loose change; and our wonderful supporters are unable to hold their own fundraising events to raise money for their local hospice. And this is just the beginning.
We are looking to launch a new appeal next week to ask for support for our nursing and medical teams in the coming weeks as they focus on ensuring our patients are shielded from the chaos outside and can spend their final moments in a calm, peaceful environment with the very best loving care. Please support this if you can. In the meantime, if you would like to make a general donation towards the important work we do, please click below.
This week has been yet another reminder of why I am so proud to work at Overgate and why I am so proud to be a part of the incredible Calderdale community. I know that we have dark days ahead but the acts of kindness I witness every day from you, our wonderful supporters, will certainly make them a little bit easier.
Please stay safe and look after each other.
Laura Golding
Director of Income Generation at Overgate Hospice