St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice – a member of national hospice charity Help the Hospices – stands to boost its income with a share of funds from ITV’s Text Santa appeal, which has raised an incredible £4.9 million.
The annual ITV appeal culminated in a live three-hour primetime show on 20 December, which resulted in ITV viewers donating millions of pounds. The money raised by Text Santa will be split between six UK charities including Help the Hospices.
From the total £820,000 raised for Help the Hospices, half will be awarded to its member hospices to help fund the vital care they provide to terminally ill people and their families. The funds received will be split equally between local hospices, which includes St Barnabas Lincolnshire Hospice.
The remaining £410,000 will support Help the Hospices national programme of work, supporting the future development of hospice care so that thousands of families can get the care that they need.
Help the Hospices CEO David Praill said:
“We are absolutely delighted with the generous amount of donations raised as a result of the Text Santa appeal. This money will help to make a huge difference to people’s lives across the length and breadth of the UK. Families who are facing a loss or who have lost a loved one will benefit from the vital care and support that local hospices provide.
The funds raised will also boost our national programme of work to support our member hospices. With demand for hospice care rapidly increasing it is vital to make sure hospices are there to support their communities now and in the future. We would like to say a huge thank you to ITV and the British public for all their support”.
The appeal has also helped to increase public awareness of hospice care, with a series of films which were broadcast across some of ITV’s flagship programmes including Daybreak, This Morning, The Jeremy Kyle Show and regional news.