Thanks to overwhelming community support, St Leonard’s Hospice has raised over £81,000 to purchase five additional cuddle beds.
This means every bedroom will now be equipped for patients and their loved ones to share precious time together.
The specialist beds, known as ‘cuddle beds’, are wider than a standard hospital bed and are fully adjustable to accommodate two people.
The beds support a patient’s clinical needs, while allowing space for a partner, child, friend or pet to lie beside them.
At £15,000 each, cuddle beds are funded entirely through donations. Prior to the appeal, St Leonard’s already had nine beds, all provided by supporters, many in memory of loved ones. Thanks to continued community generosity, the Hospice can now purchase five more, meaning all bedrooms have one.
Channon Barlow, head of fundraising at St Leonard’s Hospice, said: “We’ve been blown away by the response to this appeal.
“It’s been wonderful seeing the community come together to raise this incredible amount of money, because we all know just how important it is for every person to have that one last cuddle at the end of their life.
“People have shared their personal stories as they’ve donated, and we’ve heard from so many supporters who wished they’d had a cuddle bed when someone close to them was being cared for at the Hospice.
“Now, everyone who comes through our doors will be able to have that experience. Thank you does not seem enough to those who have helped make this happen.”
