HomeServe DIY guru and Handy Hints man John Hancock and a team of apprentices support patients and visitors at the Marie Curie Hospice in Solihull.
Walsall (PRWEB UK) 10 February 2012
John and his team of young volunteers – second-year apprentices Abigail Crisp and Nathan Wheeler, along with first-year apprentices Dominic Haldane and Richard Freer – spent the day carrying out jobs including pressure washing patio areas and paths, clearing leaves and a range of general maintenance tasks.
This is the second year that John and HomeServe apprentices have helped prepare the hospice’s outdoor space so that it can be safely enjoyed by patients and visitors during the spring and summer months ahead.
Liz Cottier, Manager of the Marie Curie Hospice, Solihull, said: “The year-round support we receive from volunteers is vitally important in the running of the hospice. We would like to thank the team from HomeServe for the time they spend with us. Their skills and hard work help us ensure the hospice and its grounds are a pleasant environment for patients and their loved ones when they visit, which really does make a difference.”
Sarah Palmer, HomeServe’s charity manager said: “We’ve been working with Marie Curie Cancer Care as our charity partner since November 2009. It’s been great to see how many of our colleagues have got behind this, at all levels and right across the business, not only as part of formal activity, like John and his apprentices, but also during their spare time by getting involved with fundraising and other activities. We pride ourselves on being a caring and responsible company and we’re proud to use the skills and expertise we have in HomeServe to help this important good cause.”
HomeServe apprentice Abigail Crisp said: “I was lucky enough to take part in the scheme last year. It’s such a privilege to be given the opportunity to help at the hospice again.”
Marie Curie Cancer Care is HomeServe’s national charity partner, raising funds to provide free care to people with terminal cancer and other illnesses in hospices and their own homes.
As part of its partnership with the charity, HomeServe has pledged to donate £1 million by March 2013, made up of £500,000 in cash and £500,000 of free home emergency cover for patients and their carers.
The company recently passed the halfway point, donating £250,000 in cash – enough to help pay for 12,500 hours of Marie Curie nursing care. This follows a busy programme of employee fundraising and business donations, and the sponsorship of Marie Curie's summer walking events, Walk Ten. HomeServe is also currently recruiting cyclists for its first ever HomeServe Charity Cycling Challenge this May...
HomeServe has also provided more than £250,000 of free home emergency cover to Marie Curie patients, helping solve more than 400 emergencies since July 2010. More than 800 patients have signed up for the service, which offers free cover for call-outs, labour, parts and VAT for almost all home emergencies.
Marie Curie Cancer Care needs the help of local people to raise £7 million to build a new Marie Curie Hospice for the West Midlands – to provide care in the hospice itself and for people across the region who want to remain in their own homes. The new Marie Curie Hospice will support hundreds more patients and their loved ones with high quality care in a comfortable environment.
From fundraising to volunteering, there are many ways local people can support Marie Curie’s BIG build appeal. For more information, visit mariecurie.org.uk/big build.
Notes to editors:
For more information, please contact either:
Sarah Palmer on 01922 609 073 / 07872 411 215 sarah.palmer(at)homeserve(dot)com
Diane Jones on 01922 659 731 / 07872 411 327 diane.jones(at)homeserve(dot)com
About HomeServe:
Every minute a Homeserve engineer comes to the rescue of a British household.
With over 2,700 directly employed and sub-contracted engineers, Homeserve is a national emergency home repair service backed by a 24 hour claims handling and repair network
HomeServe's new tradesmen service provides households with access vetted tradesmen who are qualified to carry out hundreds of different jobs around the home
HomeServe tradesmen are guaranteed to turn up on time, to hold the necessary qualifications to do the job at hand, to provide a price before they start the job and will even guarantee their work for a 12 month period afterwards.
Homeserve also offers insurance cover for plumbing, drains, electrical wiring and gas central heating.
About Marie Curie Cancer Care:
Marie Curie Cancer Care is one of the UK’s largest charities. Employing more than 2,700 nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals, it provided care to more than 31,000 terminally ill patients in the community and in its nine hospices last year and is the largest provider of hospice beds outside the NHS.
Funding:
Around 70 per cent of the charity’s income comes from the generous support of thousands of individuals, membership organisations and businesses, with the balance of our funds coming from the NHS.
Marie Curie Nurses:
The charity is best known for its network of Marie Curie Nurses working in the community to provide end of life care, totally free for patients in their own homes.
The right to die in place of choice
Research shows around 65 per cent of people would like to die at home if they had a terminal illness, with a sizeable minority opting for hospice care. However, more than 50 per cent of cancer deaths still occur in hospital, the place people say they would least like to be. Since 2004 Marie Curie Cancer Care has been campaigning for more patients to be able to make the choice to be cared for and die in their place of choice.
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Diane Jones
HomeServe
01922 659 731
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