West Midlands hospices attract £3m in cash to spend on buildings and technology
Hospices serving the Black Country and Staffordshire have been awarded almost £3 million in Government cash to spend on building improvements and technology projects.
Each has received a slice of a £75m pot to carry out major upgrades and enhancements to facilities including separate family rooms, solar panels to reduce energy costs and communal lounges.
Acorns Children’s Hospice Trust received the most at £906,009; Wolverhampton's Compton Care £647,697; Lichfield's St Giles Hospice £641,379; Stourbridge's Mary Stevens Hospice £249,600; Stafford's Katharine House Hospice £292,620; and Kidderminster's Kemp Hospice £65,565.
Acorns's chief executive Trevor Johnson welcomed the latest allocation of capital funding and said the trust, which has centres in Walsall, Birmingham and Worcester, will be spending its share on upgrading buildings, facilities and digital infrastructure. And he continued to call on the Government to provide sustainable funding to provide vital care to children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and support for their families.
Mr Johnson said: “We appreciate this one-off investment because it is important that we have got the very best facilities to deliver care to children across the region who are seriously ill. But we are not allowed to use this money to pay for a single nurse, or a single minute of care.“
"At Acorns, the thing that makes the difference is the specialist palliative care we provide for children and support for their families who are facing the darkest times in their lives. This money does not help us with that. For these families the future is uncertain and that’s why we are continuing to call for the Government to guarantee the Children’s Hospice Grant, or equivalent sustainable funding, to enable us to continue to provide the care they deserve for years to come.
“We’re asking everyone to support our campaign at www.savethegrant.com to secure the future of all children’s hospices, like Acorns, across England. Without this funding we fear a future where we may be forced to turn a child or family away.”
Toby Porter, of Hospice UK, said: "The announcement in late 2024 of £100m in capital funding for hospices was welcome recognition from the Government of the immense pressure facing hospices, and their urgent need for more financial support. We were pleased to distribute the first £25m of this funding early in March. We know this money has made a huge difference to hospices and the next £75m will continue to help them invest in their buildings, facilities, and digital infrastructure.
"!While this one-off investment has been very welcome, it’s critical that we continue to work with government to secure long-term reform to ensure hospice care is there for everyone who needs it, whoever and wherever they are."
Acorns staff have been at the forefront of a national campaign for more central funding for hospices. It was among the handpicked charities to share a slice of the £140m raised by Black Sabbath's homecoming concert at Villa Park earlier this month.
