Nurse's plea as Severn Hospice launches Christmas raffle

The charity uses its special raffle and weekly lottery to raise almost £1 million a year towards care.

Outreach nurse Katie Hughes, part of its specialist community nursing team, has written a letter to 20,000 homes in the patch urging people to support the raffle, which has a top prize of £5,000.

In her letter, she said: “Every time I’m able to visit a patient in their home and help them and their family, it is made possible by someone like you supporting the hospice.

“It’s such a simple way to help us, if you can, and I see every day how much it means to someone.

"The pandemic may have stopped so many things we took for granted and saw as normal, but it didn’t stop the need for the hospice’s specialist care.

“Every ticket bought supports the care myself and my colleagues can give.”

Lockdown forced the charity to temporarily shut its shops and cancel fundraising events, leading to a loss in fundraising income.

Karen Swindells, hospice lottery manager, said: “We have to raise £2 for every £3 we spend on care, so supporting us through the raffle is a Christmas gift that lasts all year.

"Even though we’ve come out of lockdown our fundraising is still suffering in the pandemic and this is such a simple way for people to support us.

“Our raffles and weekly lottery contributed almost £1 million towards our caring services last year, far in excess of the prize money people won in return for their generosity. For the families receiving our care, this support is priceless.”

Raffle tickets are available from the charity's website at www.severnhospice.org.uk/christmas-raffle-2020 and from its high street shops.

Participants must be aged 16 or over.