Last year, this hospice was awarded a government grant for capital expenditure, which we could only use for improvements to our buildings, equipment and infrastructure.
We spent some of this funding on redeveloping a large former rehabilitation suite into three new ensuite bedrooms in our Inpatient Unit.
As demand for our specialist care continues to grow, these new rooms will help us to meet the complex needs of more local people who require palliative and end of life care. They will be sanctuaries of peace and calm where our patients will be treated with dignity and compassion and they can share precious time together with their families.
To furnish the rooms, we needed bedroom furniture as well as specialist nursing beds, air mattresses and pumps. We made an application to the Morrisons Foundation – which supports charities making a positive difference in local communities – who kindly awarded Farleigh a grant for £10,000.
The rooms are now complete. Each one provides a relaxing environment with improved accessibility, modern furnishings, thoughtful layouts and a private patio area.
We were delighted to welcome Annette Cavanagh – the Morrisons Community Champion from Chelmsford’s Copperfield Road store – representing the Morrisons Foundation to our Inpatient Unit to show what the grant has achieved.
Debbie de Boltz, Head of Fundraising at Farleigh, said, “Thank you to the Morrisons Foundation for this very generous grant of £10,000 for Farleigh Hospice’s Inpatient Unit. Your support has enabled us to buy the essential equipment and furnishings we have needed for these three rooms. With this additional accommodation, more local people with life-limiting illnesses can benefit from our specialist hospice care when they need it the most.”