Staff from a Milton Keynes-based housebuilder have raised thousands of pounds to help hospice nurses care for people in their own homes.
Bellway Northern Home Counties, which is based at Caldecotte in Milton Keynes, has donated £4,770 to Willen Hospice after raising the money through dress down days.
The hospice, which is located off Milton Road, Willen Village, is putting the money towards its Willen at Home service.
Chris Gregg, from the hospice, said: “We need £4.7million in donations every year to keep the hospice going, so support from the community and local businesses like Bellway is absolutely crucial.
“The Bellway donation will go towards our Willen at Home service, where we go out in the community and look after people in their own homes. The donation will make a tangible difference.”
The cost of getting hospice nurses to people’s homes is around £14,700 for 2,000 visits per year, so the Bellway contribution will pay for around four months of home care transport.
Chris Edginton, Sales and Marketing Director for Bellway Northern Home Counties, said: “Many of our staff live locally, so the hospice and its fantastic work is well known to many of us.
“We are only too pleased to help such a worthwhile Milton Keynes charity, especially as most of its funding comes from donations.”
Willen Hospice, which opened in 1981, provides free care to people from Milton Keynes and surrounding areas who are affected by life-limiting illness.
The annual running costs of the hospice are around £5.9 million. Around a quarter of this is met by the NHS; the rest must be raised from the local community.
Chris Gregg said: “We’re currently looking for more people to commit to giving regularly, even if its just £5 or £10 a month. We call them our GEMs (Giving Every Month) and if we can get more of them, we will have a regular income we can rely on.”
More information about the charity is available on the website at willen-hospice.org.uk.
Bellway Northern Home Counties is building new homes at 19 developments across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire, including Whitehouse Farm in Milton Keynes. For more information, go to www.bellway.co.uk.
