Saint Francis Hospice, like all other charities, has found its fundraising events severely curtailed in recent months, as community partnerships manager Michelle Gower explains

I was given the opportunity of working in our reception area at the time of Covid-19.

This primarily was to greet individuals and companies who wanted to make a donation of PPE equipment or gifts for the staff.

It is so important to the hospice that we are able to thank everyone for their generosity and I wanted to turn this opportunity into something positive.

I have had some wonderful conversations with hospice staff and supporters, which has helped to raise awareness of the hospice and the challenges of fundraising in these unprecedented times.

READ MORE: Saint Francis Hospice to hold its first virtual quiz night

As a fundraiser you must be quick to adapt to any situation and we realised that virtual events were becoming popular. We now have our Little Orange Quiz available to download on our website. We have had some great support with this, but need lots more! All fundraising events have been cancelled so the hard work that some of our supporters put into their own fundraising has had to be put on hold, but they are all planning new dates in 2021.

Fundraising for the hospice is a great experience. With the support of the team we encourage anyone to let us know what they are doing and how we can be of help.

We have had some fantastic support from the community we care for and this has helped boost morale here at the hospice.

I have witnessed some very sad situations at our reception, with the restrictions we have had to adhere to, and also the dedication and extreme hard work of the clinical staff to ensure the continued level of care to patients.

READ MORE: How Saint Francis Hospice caters for patients meals during coronavirus

Although this has been hard to see, it has reinforced how hugely important the hospice is to all who have to use our services and has given me even more inspiration and determination to continue raising much needed funds.

More now than ever before the support from our community is needed and the team are here ready to help anyone who has ideas on how to raise money or host an event, however small or large. To find out more about how you can support the hospice, visit our website at sfh.org.uk.