Severn Hospice is facing a £1.1m shortfall - here's what you can do to help

As hospices around Shropshire battle a funding crisis, there has been increasing concern about how funding will impact patients in their care.

Five hospices across the UK have announced job cuts in the past two months due to financial pressures.

In Shropshire, Severn Hospice said it is financially stable, but its chief executive Heather Tudor admitted there are concerns about how it will find funding to fill a £1.1m gap to care for patients this year.

Mrs Tudor said the challenge was "as big a one [the charity] faced since the pandemic" and finding the money was "not going to be easy".

For the last 35 years, Severn Hospice has given specialist care and support free of charge to families across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales who are living with an incurable illness.

Last year alone, the charity cared for 3,000 families through their three hospices and Hospice at Home service.

While they are part of local health services, they are not part of the NHS and must raise over two-thirds of their own running costs.

Mrs Tudor urged people who do want to help to sign up as a regular supporter.

She said: "If there’s one thing someone can do today it would be to become a regular supporter and set up a direct debit; join our weekly lottery; shop with us.

"The biggest gift anyone can give is to remember us in their will – gifts in wills help pay for the care of one in four of our patients."

More information about how to support the charity can be found online at: severnhospice.org.uk/support-us