100 nights of hospice care funded by one supporter’s generosity

One hundred nights of expert end-of-life care will be provided by Treetops Hospice, thanks to the generosity of a single supporter’s monthly donation.

Paul Wilcox from Breaston, affectionately known as ‘Pushbike Paul’, has supported the charity since 2014, raising over £80,000 through his recycled bike scheme. Now, his latest contribution – a regular monthly Direct Debit – will fund a further 100 nights of Hospice at Home care.

Speaking about why he’s set up the donation, Paul said: “One of the comments we hear most often when collecting or receiving bikes is how wonderful the Hospice at Home nurses are, and what a difference they made at the end of their loved one’s life. They are forever grateful for the service provided by Treetops and that’s why I have chosen to set up this payment.”

Treetops Hospice supports over 2,000 people each year across Derby and Southern Derbyshire. Its Hospice at Home nurses provide specialist overnight care and emotional support to patients and families in their own homes, free of charge.

In the last year alone, Treetops delivered 18,719 hours of care to 1,122 patients through the service.

Teresa Smith, Treetops’ Hospice at Home Manager, said: “Paul’s continued generosity means so much to the patients and families we support. A hundred nights of care is truly life-changing, it allows people to spend their final days with comfort, dignity and the reassurance of having a compassionate nurse by their side. We simply couldn’t provide this vital service without supporters like Paul.”

It costs over £5.7 million a year to keep Treetops’ doors open, with only little funding from government bodies, roughly 18%. The rest of its funding comes from supporters, through voluntary donations, charity shops, fundraising events, lottery memberships and gifts in Wills. Regular donations from supporters, such as those set up by Paul, help Treetops continue to provide vital care and support to local people at end-of-life.

Treetops is doing all it can to continue to support those in most need and welcomes donations to ensure the future of the hospice and its services: www.treetopshospice.org.uk/donate