Blythe House Hospicecare in Derbyshire has been awarded a £2000 grant from the Cadent Foundation and is now in the running to increase it to £3000 after being nominated and voted for by Cadent employees.
The charity, which provides holistic care and support for those with life limiting illness, has been shortlisted to receive a share of a £25,000 grant fund in the second round of the Cadent Foundation’s ‘Connecting Colleagues, Customers and Communities’ initiative, which was first launched last year.
The Cadent Foundation is funded by local gas network Cadent, and employees were asked to nominate local charities which were then shortlisted to go forward to a public vote. The final stage is now underway with Cadent engineers equipped with information and material to allow customers to submit a vote and find out more about the individual charities.
In the first funding round, £25,000 was awarded to 15 charities across Cadent’s North West network. Julia Dwyer, Director of the Cadent Foundation, said: “The ‘Connecting Colleagues, Customers and Communities’ initiative has been a fantastic success as it allows Cadent customers and colleagues to make a real difference in their local community by nominating and voting for charities which are close to their hearts. We had a huge response from the public in the first round with more than 1000 votes cast – and we already look set to far exceed that number this time around.
“We’ve seen first-hand what a huge difference this funding can make to local charities, especially after the last 18 months. Charities like these play a vital role in in our society and we’re delighted to be able to offer our support to help them continue their great work.”
Blythe House Hospicecare adds quality to life by providing the highest levels of care for people in the High Peak and surrounding areas who have suffered a bereavement or are affected by life limiting illnesses including cancer, heart failure, COPD and neurological conditions such as motor neurone disease.
Alistair Rogerson, Business Development Manager at Blythe House Hospicecare, said: “We are very grateful to the Cadent Foundation for the generous donation to support our care. We receive just 14% of our running costs from the government, and the rest we must raise for ourselves through streams including events, our local shops, and grants from organisations like Cadent. This vital funding enables us to continue to provide free care and support to people across our community who’re affected by life-limiting illness and bereavement – with our services including 24/7 Hospice at Home, counselling sessions, physiotherapy and complementary therapies.”
The Cadent Foundation supports projects that help people living in vulnerable situations and energy poor communities; protect and preserve the natural environment and support in creating a sustainable energy future for all. More information can be found at www.cadentfoundation.com
To find out more about Blythe House Hospicecare, please visit: www.blythehousehospice.org.uk/support-us