Janet Finch-Saunders MS, the Shadow Minister for Social Care, Children, and Young People, is supporting Children’s Hospice Week (ends June28), and has made a call for community action to “help our hospices” not just this week, but also year round.
Mrs Finch-Saunders said that we should all come together to raise awareness of and funds for these vital services in Wales, and added “… children’s hospices in Wales could not continue to provide the same level of service but for your generosity”.
Commenting on the situation Mrs Finch-Saunders said:
“Hospices provide invaluable help and support to children with life limiting conditions and their friends and families. In fact, there is nowhere else they could turn to for the care and support they need.
“Tŷ Hafan succeeds to do this despite the cost of providing care being over £4 million annually and receiving less than four percent in statutory funding towards the figure.
“Similarly, Tŷ Gobaith needs £6.5m every year to operate, but only receives one month’s income from statutory sources.
“Our two hospices are dependent on you and your generosity so to keep caring for children and their families.
“My Welsh Conservative colleagues and I have a history of trying to see the Welsh Government pay more, but we are not there yet.
“During this Hospice Week, please consider donating to either organisation here in Wales. They have been caring through this crisis, so let us show our care for them by improving awareness or donating what we can.”