Four hospices from across Worcestershire have joined together with counterparts from across the Midlands to create a TV advertisement campaign aimed at raising awareness of the important role hospices play in local communities.
Entitled ‘Love your Local Hospice’, the series of TV advertisements will be shown on ITV over 10 days, starting on Sunday (14th February), and will showcase the love, care, friendship and support each of the hospices provides to children and adults and their families.
St Richard’s Hospice, Acorns Children’s Hospice, KEMP Hospice, and Primrose Hospice are part of the 16-strong collaboration that has come together to break down perceptions surrounding hospice care.
Each year, hospices across the West Midlands area care for over 26,000 adult patients and support over 1,500 children and their families.
The cost of providing all these services each year is approximately £80 million and many hospices are reliant on voluntary donations to meet these.
Tricia Cavell, Fundraising Director for St Richard’s Hospice, said: “With this campaign we’re hoping to break down myths and barriers by bringing the reality of what we are all about into people’s homes and onto their TV screens. Joining forces on this project has been a fantastic demonstration of what can be achieved by working together.”
Louise Arnold, Director of Income Generation at Acorns, said: “It costs Acorns £9.3million every year to provide our specialist care and almost all of this is funded by local fundraising. By joining together with other local hospices we’re highlighting how important it is that this support continues.”
KEMP Hospice’s Head of Fundraising, Cathy Sloan, said: “Hospice’s are warm, caring, happy places and this comes across very strongly in the TV advert. We hope that people will be encouraged to find out more about what their local hospice can offer in terms of care and support, and know that we are there for them should they need us.”
Lindsey Higgins, Manager of Fundraising at Primrose Hospice, said: “We really appreciate our local supporters. Without their help we would not be able to offer the services that we do. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a very real difference to us. Our local supporters keep the hospice services going and our support keeps many families going.”
It is hoped that people watching will be encouraged to find out more, so that should they or someone in their family require the help and support a hospice can provide they know how to go about it. For more information and full list of hospices involved is available on www.loveyourlocalhospice.org.uk