A major local company selling health foods, vitamins and supplements across the UK is donating vital funds to support a St Giles Hospice service which helps people living with a potentially-incurable illness to be cared for in their own home at the end of their life.
Rugeley-based Zipvit has donated £28,758 to the St Giles Hospice at Home service, which will help patients who are in the last few weeks of life and want to be cared for in the comfort of their own home.
Zipvit, which recently opened the Eco Foods shop in Market Square, Lichfield, raised the money from the generosity of customers using the company’s online store over the past year.
Warren Bailey, Managing Director of Zipvit and Eco Foods, said: “We are incredibly proud to have raised these funds for a local charity we have been working with for the last year.
“The money raised helps to fund their vital work supporting local patients and their families. We wouldn’t be able to do this without the generosity of our customers who, rather than selecting a free gift when they order, ask us to donate £1 to charity. Over the years those £1 donations have added up and our total support to all good causes and charities now exceeds £550,000!
“I would like to personally thank our customers for selecting the charitable donation as their gift when shopping with Zipvit.”
The St Giles Hospice at Home service currently covers South Staffordshire and North Birmingham, providing care within the home for people in the last few weeks of life, enabling them to stay at home where they have chosen to be and ensuring their loved ones are supported too.
St Giles Director of Fundraising Elinor Eustace said: “Most people want to be able to die at home surrounded by their loved ones – however, unfortunately too many spend their final days in hospital. Our Hospice at Home service enables patients and their families to feel confident, reassured and supported in their care for a loved one who has chosen to die at home. And of course, bereavement support is then available for families, including children if required. Our care doesn’t end when someone dies. We rely on charitable funding and we’d like to thank Zipvit for their support, which will make a huge difference to the service we can offer.
“We know from feedback from families what a difference our Hospice at Home team makes. The donation from Zipvit will fund a healthcare assistant for about 12 months and that will make a massive difference to local people. Thank you to the Zipvit team and all of their customers who have made this donation possible.”