The charity is being impacted by the cost of living crisis; with rising food prices and increasing utility costs having a significant impact at a time when their vital services are required more than ever as they aim to reach more people and relieve pressure on the NHS.  

Last year St Helena Hospice supported more than 4,100 people, with around 90% of them being cared for in their own homes across Colchester and Tendring. The local charity has exciting plans to support even more patients and their families to face incurable illness and bereavement but can only do this with the support of the local community.  

The 36 Hour Appeal, which ran from 18th to 20th February, saw over 200 people sign up to be ‘Hospice Champions’. They then reached out to their networks of friends, family and followers over the 36 hours the appeal was running to ask them to make a donation to their local Hospice. 

During this period, all donations made to St Helena Hospice were doubled, thanks to generous donors who contributed towards a matched funding pot. 

Lizzi Hollis, head of fundraising at St Helena, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the grand total raised by our 36 Hour Appeal. We were hoping to raise £202,000 but thanks to a few late additions, we smashed that total by over £65,000! We are so grateful to everyone who helped exceed our target.