Nightingale House has launched an appeal in order to gain public support regarding the provision of free patient care.

Nightingale House is encouraging people to join their hospice lottery which would inject cash into the services they provide for patients with chronic diseases including cancer, motor neurone disease and heart failure.

It would cover cancer patients and those with other life-threatening illnesses living in the region.

This would provide the patients with support and advice to enhance their quality of life – from holistic treatments to pain management and on-going assessments.

As 80 per cent of the hospice’s services are funded by donations and fundraising activities the weekly lottery is an important component for generating income.

The firebreak lockdown will have an impact on this income as all their Welsh retail outlets and cafés will close – they also received some funds from the government to help subsidise these losses, but not the full amount which was apparently promised.

Amanda Kinsey, Nightingale’s lottery manager, said: “During these uncertain times playing the lottery in support of Nightingale House means so much to patients and their families as it is a vital source of income for us and provides consistency in our fundraising abilities to complement those organised events and other donations and fundraising efforts.”

Mrs Eluned Griffiths, chair of the board of trustees, added: “The lottery has helped keep our heads just above water during the last seven months, providing essential cashflow for the hospice and remains a pivotal part of our fundraising, particularly as business support schemes disappear and we are left to face an uncertain financial future alone.

“The latest national lockdown for Wales means we will struggle once more as our overheads remain the same.

“We appeal to the First Minister of Wales to release the rest of the funds promised to us earlier in the year, as so far we have only received approximately a third of these and also to ensure the charity sector is not forgotten during this uncertain period.

“We are so lucky to have wonderful supporters who are digging deep to help us get through this difficult period.

“If there are family members who already support the lottery we would urge them to encourage others to take part and take the message into their workplaces and tell colleagues and friends about the lottery’s positive impact on our hospice care.

“Encouraging more people to sign up would bring us a sense of relief and provide stability to all those who benefit from our services and our hard working staff who continue to provide the care and support that patients with chronic illnesses are able to access 365 days a year.”

The Nightingale House Lottery costs £1 per week with a top prize of £2,500 in cash, plus several other cash prizes.

To find out more, contact the Lottery Team on 01978 316800.

Visit the website for more info – https://www.nightingalehouse.co.uk/lottery/