The board of Shrewsbury-based Paterson Enterprises, parent company of Morris Lubricants and Morris Leisure, unanimously agreed on Tuesday to support Hope House, which has lost £1.25 million in fundraising income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
By making the donation, both Morris Lubricants and Morris Leisure become Hope House Champions. The money will help to ensure that families continue to receive the bespoke care they need at the hospices.
Andrew Goddard, joint executive chairman of Paterson Enterprises, said:
“Having contributed to Severn Hospice recently, we also wanted to help Hope House which is experiencing the same difficult fundraising challenges.
“We are delighted to become a Hope House Champion, which is a fantastic initiative, and are very proud to be doing our bit to help the incredible people who care for and support children and their families at the hospices.”
Lynsey Kilvert, Hope House’s fundraising team leader for Shropshire, Powys, Telford and Wrekin, thanked Morris Lubricants and Morris Leisure for their continued support and explained that the pandemic is having a significant impact on the hospices.
Having lost £1.25 million in income, Hope House is facing additional costs, including increased PPE for nurses and families, to ensure that the hospices are COVID-safe to continue to provide end of life and critical care to children.
“We need 12 FFP masks and 12 gowns in any one 24-hour period for every child being cared for. This equates to £78 per day for each child. These extra costs, combined with the loss of income, are putting a huge strain on us.
“We are contacting local companies and asking them to help us by donating £780 to cover the cost of PPE for 10 days for one child. This support will ensure that the families we care for continue to receive the bespoke care they deserve this Christmas time.
“Every business that pledges this amount receives our Hope House Champion certificate and virtual logo to display as they wish. This is a brand new initiative as we begin to build back better for our families.
“We are doing everything we can to weather this storm and to be there for every family who needs us. We still hold true to our mission statement: ‘No one should face the death of their child alone’.
“With pledges from businesses like Morris Lubricants and Morris Leisure, we can ensure this never happens.”