A CHARITY that looks after terminally ill people and their families in the last days of their lives has made an urgent appeal.

Marie Curie says that its income has been decimated by the closure of ahops and the cancellation of fundraiaing events in Cornwall.

Marie Curie nurses are gearing up to provide support to large numbers of additional dying patients requiring end of life care, in order to relieve the unprecedented pressure on the NHS during the Coronavirus crisis. With the number of cases rapidly increasing in the South West, local Marie Curie Nursing teams are working harder than ever.

Given the choice, people overwhelmingly say they would prefer to die in their own home, or in a hospice, rather than a hospital. End of life patients who do not want to be in hospital need to be moved to a more appropriate setting, as beds in critical care units are urgently required for patients who need lifesaving treatment for Coronavirus.

Marie Curie can help, but only if it continues to raise the donations it needs to fund its vital work.

Last year the charity provided 175,000 hours of direct care for over 3000 people in the South West, allowing them to die at home where they wanted to be. Marie Curie needs to raise £50,000 a week to continue to run its essential frontline services across the South West, at a time when its ability to generate this money has been seriously compromised. 

Natalie Garland, Marie Curie South West Fundraising Manager, said: ’When the NHS and public need us most, we are facing huge struggles raising vital funds. Along with the cancellation of hundreds of high street and supermarket collections, we’re now losing income from the closure of our charity shops and from cancelled fundraising events such as the Padstow to Rock Swim - which raised over £80,000 for us last year. My message to those in the South West, please donate if you can.’