Waipuna Hospice needs to grow its fundraising to net $48,000 per week in order to cope with an increasing number of patients.
Speaking at the Hospice's annual meeting recently, chief executive officer Richard Thurlow said an increased fundraising target equating to $2.5 million had been set for 2015 in order
to continue to provide services free to those in need.
This year a total of $2.3 million - about $44,400 per week - was raised to care for Hospice patients, 76 per cent of whom have a primary diagnosis of cancer, and 24 per cent being non-cancer.
"Our number of patients is growing and forecast to grow in the years ahead. Consequently our fundraising requirements grow each year too," Mr Thurlow said.
Waipuna Hospice fundraising manager Trish Rae said the increased fundraising requirement initially presents as a "formidable challenge," but fundraising targets to date had been achieved thanks to the combined efforts of a "generous and caring" community and the many philanthropic trusts, both local and national, who continue to support the day to day services provided at Waipuna Hospice.
That support is provided through donations, grants, bequests, goods, services, skills and time.
"The continued ongoing support of the local community is the only way Waipuna Hospice can provide the services that our loved ones require."
Ms Rae said the Waipuna Hospice shops, which continued to grow in strength, made an increasingly significant contribution towards the provision of Waipuna Hospice's services.
Huge growth activity over the past 12 months has seen the stores generate more in earnings. This year has seen the expansion of the Mount Maunganui shop, and the opening of a Te Puke hospice shop - the fourth in the district. Without the income generated by these shops, Hospice could not survive, she said.
Waipuna Hospice's next major fundraising endeavour will be a Gatsby Night, to be held on December 5 at Classic Flyers. It will feature UK Band, The Electric Swing Circus, who will deliver a mix of 1920s swing and jazz. It will be a cabaret-style evening of song, music and stunning dance routines. For more information and/or tickets visit www.waipuna-hospice.co.nz.
This year has also seen the number of Waipuna Hospice volunteers reach a record high of 652 people providing 56,811 hours of care. This voluntary care includes assistance in many areas of hospice work; for example, work in the shops, at the hospice kitchens, at reception, assisting patients and their families in their own homes, and helping maintain the hospice grounds.
