Can you help us sustain our vital services? 

Inconsistency in statutory funding, combined with a challenging fundraising environment and increasing costs, is placing the hospice sector under significant financial pressure. 

Hospices across the country are struggling to keep up with inflation and rising costs and many are already cutting back services. 

The demand for palliative care is growing significantly. For hospices to play their role in meeting this challenge, supporting NHS and social care services at excellent value to the taxpayer, they need a long-term, sustainable approach to funding based on close partnership with the wider health and care system

Last year we announced that due to a combination of the cost-of-living crisis, high fuel and energy costs, high inflation and over 15 years of below inflation increases to our government NHS funding, our projected financial deficit for 2023-24 was £1.2million, and that without further government funding for 2024-25 and beyond, we would need to consider closing or reducing our services.

Thanks to the incredible support of The Bolton News with their ‘Save Bolton Hospice’ campaign and the efforts of our generous local community, an extra £670,000 has been raised through donations and income generation. 

As well as this incredible support from our community, unexpected additional legacy income and further income generation growth plans has helped to reduce the projected deficit for 2024-25 to £400,000. 

However, if this substantial underlying financial deficit remains, we will be unable to sustain our services without a long-term solution from the government. 

With only 21% of the costs of running the hospice met by government funding and costs rapidly increasing - donations, fundraising and gifts in wills have never been so important. 

To further reduce our substantial deficit this year, we continue to focus our efforts on exploring all possible avenues of further income generation and crucially, securing a fairer government NHS funding deal.

There are lots of ways you can continue to support Bolton Hospice this year

• Join our hospice lottery or make a monthly donation to help provide a steady source of income
• Donate pre-loved items or shop locally in one of our charity shops
• Become a patron
• Gift your time as a volunteer
• Attend or organise a fundraising event
• Pledge a gift in your will
• Show your support on social media to help raise awareness

If you are able to, please support our urgent appeal. Your support will help us keep our vital services running.