Hospice urges community to swap commutes for vital care

Monday 23 March 2020

Nurses at a Luton hospice are urging commuters and those self-isolating to swap the money they’re saving on their daily commute to help ensure its end-of-life care services can cope.

Keech Hospice Care, the children’s hospice for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes and the adult hospice for Luton and Bedfordshire, is on the frontline caring for the patients who are most vulnerable and susceptible to the coronavirus.

Liz Searle, CEO at Keech Hospice Care, says income is falling yet the demand for its end-of-life services is only going to increase.

“In my 30 years as a nurse, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Liz. “The coronavirus outbreak will have a huge financial impact on us. We’ve had to postpone some of our big fundraising events and other areas of income are struggling.”

“The demand for our services has never been so great. It’s moving so fast. End-of-life care numbers are only going to increase in the coming days and weeks. Patients we already care for may get sick and need our services more quickly. At the same time, people with long-term health conditions who we wouldn’t normally see may get the virus. It’s a lot of people who will need our care in a short space of time. The demand on us as a charity is huge but I couldn’t be prouder of our hospice staff, who are working so hard here on the frontline,” Liz said.

Keech Hospice Care is now asking people who are making savings through working from home or self-isolating to consider donating it to the charity during this difficult time.

“I appreciate and totally understand it’s worrying times for everyone and we all have our own challenges,” said Liz. “Our local community is amazing and it’s at times like this we can all come together to support each other.

“If you are working from home, self-isolating or not doing the school run, please consider donating to Keech Hospice Care the money you’re saving on your bus or train fare, maybe your weekly exercise class, daily caffeine fix or those pints down the pub you can’t have right now. If you can’t raid the works vending machine at this time or your canteen is closed, every penny you give to us really will support our vital specialist care when it’s needed the most,” Liz said.

As a charity, Keech Hospice Care relies on around 70% of its funding to come from its community and supporters. If you can swap your coffee for care or your BLT for Keech TLC, please donate at www.keech.org.uk/donate or through @keechhospicecare on Facebook.

For interviews, please contact Lorna Chinnock, Head of Marketing and Communications, Keech Hospice Care, on 01582 497874 / 07824606856 or lchinnock@keech.org.uk.