Did you see the BBC Breakfast News piece about the impact rising food and energy bills are having on hospices?

They visited St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset where in the last year they have seen their food and energy costs double, and they are expecting to see a deficit of between £750,000 and £1 million this year.

They are not alone in their financial struggles, we know that many people and organisations are stretched; we need to raise £9.1 million this year to continue providing our services free of charge to people living with terminal illnesses, and their families.

That’s £750,000 every month so we are genuinely concerned about the impact the spiralling cost of living and energy prices is having on us.

We will continue to keep a very close eye on our expenditure and try to reduce it wherever we can so that we maximise the funds available for patient care, but reducing costs without impacting patient care is a huge ongoing challenge.

We were already working hard to try to build income back up to pre-Covid levels and we constantly strive to find efficiencies to ensure we maximise the value of donated funds.

Less than 20% of our funding comes from the NHS and we simply wouldn’t survive without our amazing supporters and volunteers.

We, like many, are facing another very tough period ahead, but our commitment to providing the very best palliative and end of life care for the people of Coventry and Warwickshire will not waver.

We are very fortunate to have the backing of our local community and we know you will continue to support us as much as you possibly can.

Together we can get through this difficult time, whilst striving to ensure sustainability for the future.