Nottinghamshire Hospice launches annual Light up a Life fundraising appeal

In the last year the hospice provided 31,101 hours of care in people's homes and eight out of 10 of patients would have been in hospital if it weren’t for its care.

The hospice provides care across Nottinghamshire and last year prevented 126 hospital admissions per month.

The hospice has now launched its annual winter fundraising campaign – Light up a Life.

Each year, the hospice asks people to donate in memory of a loved one, so that its care can go to other local families that need it.

Louisa Shaw-Yeoman, a registered nurse at the hospice, said: “I’m so proud to work for a charity that goes above and beyond and helps people die surrounded by their loved ones.

"Eighty-six per cent of our Hospice in Your Home services takes place at night – that means we face ice, darkness and fog every single year.

“I can remember my car skidding across the road before reaching one patient.

"Their house was cold and damp, so I did my best to make sure him, his wife and young children were comfortable during those final hours.

“By sending us their dedication and donations, people are making sure that others have the support they need in one of the most difficult moments of their life.”

For details, visit nottshospice.org/light

Nottinghamshire Hospice is a charity that provides wellbeing activities, end-of-life care and bereavement support to people affected by incurable illnesses across Nottinghamshire.

Its support is free to patients and their loved ones, but it costs the hospice £300 for a member of its care team to stay overnight at a patient’s home.

Money will be raised this winter through donations to its online appeal, with messages of dedication being added as stars to an online, virtual night sky.

Members of the public can also purchase a forget-me-not pin badge, or light up the hospice’s famous tower in a colour of their choice in memory of someone they have lost.

The hospice will also host two public in-memory events, on Sunday, December 3.