St Catherine’s Hospice has been granted £75,000 from the Wolfson Foundation Covid-19 Support Fund.

The money will help St Cath’s continue its important work at the Lostock Hall hospice, in people’s own homes and in providing bereavement and other forms of support to the wider community.

St Catherine’s cares for patients and families across Preston, Chorley and South Ribble who are affected by life-shortening conditions.

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Lorraine Charlesworth, director of community and income at St Catherine’s Hospice, said: “The Wolfson Foundation awards financial grants to charities and good causes like St Catherine’s. Often when we apply for funding in this way it is for a specific piece of equipment or a project, therefore the money is classed as ‘restricted’.

“For example, the building of our social enterprise café – from which proceeds are ploughed back into the charity – was grant-funded, and other examples include an upgrade of our inpatient unit and refurbishment of our charity shops.

“It means that when people so generously donate or do sponsored challenges on our behalf, their donations can be spent directly on patient care.

“We are immensely grateful for this support from the Wolfson Foundation, and we’re so appreciative that the £75,000 is ‘unrestricted’, enabling us to respond flexibly to the ever-changing challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have been faced with additional costs and pressures this year, including PPE and many more unforeseen costs, and all at a time when our usual fundraising activities have been impacted.

“This funding will make a significant difference to us as we plan ahead for 2021 and work hard to provide our services whilst raising vital funds in innovative new ways.”

The hospice has to raise £4m of its annual £5.8m running costs, with £1.8m provided by the NHS.

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The Wolfson Foundation awards grants to support education, science and medicine, heritage, humanities and the arts, and health and disability.

The Covid-19 Support Fund has seen £10m allocated to provide unrestricted funding to the health and disability sector along with other areas of work.

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, explained: “We are delighted provide this funding to St Catherine’s Hospice as one of 80 organisations across the UK backed by our Covid-19 Support Fund.

“This pandemic is a time of significant challenge and uncertainty for charities, and we hope our flexible funding shows solidarity as well as support for such a vital organisation.”

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