Havens Hospices calls upon the community to help raise £24K for its hospice care this Christmas

November 6, 2020

Above: A family participating at Havens Hospices’ Run Santa Run event last year.

A local charity is calling on its community to help raise £24,000 to help fund its specialist hospice care over Christmas.

In the lead up to the festive season, Havens Hospices is launching its ’12 Days of Christmas’ campaign, asking local supporters including businesses, schools and community groups to hold a festive themed fundraiser.

On Christmas Day and Boxing Day, it will cost £24,000 to provide emergency symptom control and end of life care at Fair Havens and Little Havens. The charity’s specialist hospice care is free of charge and only exists because of the support and generosity of the community.

The charity has some great festive fundraising ideas for the community to get involved with, so many of which can be done online, including: holding a festive bake sale, decorating your home with Christmas lights, making a donation in lieu of sending Christmas cards, holding a Christmas Jumper Day or donating a percentage of your business’ profits in December.

In lieu of its annual Run Santa Run event this year, the charity’s Festive 5K event is inviting participants to walk, jog or run 5km anytime, anywhere in Christmas themed fancy dress between 1st-13th December. Registration for the event is free, the charity just asks everyone participating to raise as much sponsorship as they can.

On 1st December, the charity will be also be holding a Big Christmas Virtual Quiz which will be hosted by Havens Hospices Patron and Radio Essex presenter Su Harrison for a donation of £5.

Rachel Hawksworth, Voluntary Income Area Team Leader at Havens Hospices says: “Our care doesn’t stop over the Christmas period so neither can our fundraising. Christmas is a special time for all families, but when someone is at the end of their life Havens Hospices is there for them providing palliative care and support in the hospice or in their home, ‘Making every day count’. It’s with thanks to people like you that we’ll be able to provide our specialist care free of charge this Christmas.

“You can take part by choosing any of our 12 festive fundraising ideas or you may even have some exciting ideas of your own – we would love to see how everyone will be taking part so please remember to share your photos with us on our social media pages tagging @havenshospices.

“Even just by making a small one-off donation this Christmas – no matter how large or small – will make such a positive difference.”

The ‘12 Days of Christmas’ campaign has been kindly sponsored by Affinity Group, Birketts, Highview, MHA Macintyre Hudson, Montage Wealth Management, Monthind, The Underfloor Heating Store and Utilize.

For more fundraising ideas or more information about the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ campaign visit www.havenshospices.org.uk/12days or get in touch with Rachel Hawksworth on 01702 220 342 or email rhawksworth@havenshospices.org.uk.