Meet the group which gave Â£30,000 to Alice House Hospice

A charity has amassed Â£30,000 for a Hartlepool cause thanks to years of devoted fundraising.

The Pansies Breast Cancer Support group has long supported the work of Alice House Hospice.

It has fundraised for the cause for the past 16 years and has recently reached the fundraising milestone.

Pansies is a group of like-minded ladies who meet once a week. Their fundraising has supported many aspects of hospice care such as the lymphoedema service, complementary therapies; as well as providing funds to buy vital equipment such as portable oxygen machines and nebulisers.

Hospice senior fundraising manager Rebecca Jobson praised the amazing backing and said: “The Pansies have supported the hospice for a long time now and they have continued to raise an amazing amount of money each year. It is always heart-warming to work with the people and groups from within our local communities. Thank You.

“The ladies of Pansies Breast Cancer Support group visited the Holistic Wellbeing Centre to present the cheque and have a cuppa and mince pies with staff from the hospice.”

Isobel Wilson, from Pansies, said: “We know first-hand of the care and support that is given to local women coping with breast cancer, especially through the Day Hospice. We are proud to make this donation and achieve more than £30,000.”

Alice House Hospice, based in Wells Avenue, Hartlepool, is a registered charity offering specialist palliative care to hundreds of adults from Hartlepool and East Durham each year.

Individuals who access hospice services can be living with illnesses such as Cancer, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder, Motor Neurone Disease, end stage heart disease and Parkinson’s.

Each patient and their family or carers receives tailor-made services to meet their physical, emotional, spiritual and psychological and cultural needs in comfort and dignity.

It costs £2.3 million to continue providing the current range of services. The Hospice receives 24% NHS funding so the outstanding £1.7 million must be raised through the local community and other fundraising initiatives.