Chesterfield's Ashgate Hospicecare staff to walk Mount Snowdon to plug facility's £2 million Covid-19 funding gap

Employees at Chesterfield’s Ashgate Hospicecare will walk up Mount Snowdon in an attempt to plug the facility’s £2 million Covid-19 funding shortfall.
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Staff at Ashgate Hospicecare will walk up Mount Snowdon on October 24 as part of a fundraiser to plug the £2 million gap that the facility estimates it has lost in terms of revenue during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The hospice is currently in discussion with NHS Derby and Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group about its funding challenges and the need for health budgets to increase with the demand for specialist end of life care.

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Palliative care nurses, Laura Webb, Georgie Stain and Sharon Hill are taking on the physical challenge alongside Andrew Webb, who works in the hospice’s maintenance department and volunteer, Maurice Suter.

Ashgate Hospice staff are walking Mount Snowdon to raise money for the facility during the pandemic. Pictured: back left, Andrew Webb, front left, Georgie Stain, middle, Maurice Suter, back right, Sharon Hill and front right, Laura Webb.Ashgate Hospice staff are walking Mount Snowdon to raise money for the facility during the pandemic. Pictured: back left, Andrew Webb, front left, Georgie Stain, middle, Maurice Suter, back right, Sharon Hill and front right, Laura Webb.
Ashgate Hospice staff are walking Mount Snowdon to raise money for the facility during the pandemic. Pictured: back left, Andrew Webb, front left, Georgie Stain, middle, Maurice Suter, back right, Sharon Hill and front right, Laura Webb.

Husband and wife, Andrew and Laura, are already keen walkers and decided to combine their hobby into the charity walk.

Laura, 28, who lives in Somersall, said: "I think we feel a little bit daunted because we don't know what the weather is going to be like and with the covid restrictions, at the moment we are still safe to travel but that is all a bit up in the air at the minute.

"We're all really passionate about the hospice, with working there and knowing the difference that it makes to people in this area that access the hospice and the impact it would have if the hospice wasn't there.”

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Ashgate Hospicecare had to cancel their annual Sparkle Night Walk and Christmas market which they would usually rely on for income due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Palliative care nurse, Laura, hopes the money will help plug the hospice's funding gap which has widened during the coronavirus crisis.Palliative care nurse, Laura, hopes the money will help plug the hospice's funding gap which has widened during the coronavirus crisis.
Palliative care nurse, Laura, hopes the money will help plug the hospice's funding gap which has widened during the coronavirus crisis.

The facility’s palliative care nurses have been working from home throughout the pandemic, mainly checking up on patients over the phone, rather than their usual in person visits to prevent the spread of the virus.

Staff have raised more than £1,700 for the hospice through their donation page – which initially had a goal of £500.

Laura added: “I wasn't sure with the current climate and job situations changing how much the word would get out and how much people would be willing to donate so it really has amazed us.

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"To be honest when money keeps coming in, it just gives us that push to do the challenge.”

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