West Dorset supporter group raises a sparkling £101,000 for Weldmar to mark the charity’s 30th anniversary year

A dedicated group of supporters in the west of Dorset has raised a staggering total at a recent dinner and auction, organised to mark the 30th anniversary of Weldmar Hospicecare.

Lots included holidays and short breaks, fine wines, works of art, and activities. Star attractions included the use of a five bed, luxurious chalet in the iconic Swiss skiing village of Murren, and a summer holiday in a French alpine chalet for ten people. A framed oil painting by British contemporary painter Hugo Grenville, ‘Looking East from Tresco Abbey’ also helped swell the coffers to an amazing £101,000.

Bids could also be made for a day in a recording studio, golf lessons, a private cookery demonstration, and a private tour and tasting at Langham Wine Estate.

Sue Dean is Chair of the West Dorset Weldmar Fundraising Committee, and says: “With hospices under so much financial pressure at present, we were delighted to have raised £101,000 at the Weldmar 30th Anniversary Dinner recently. This was only possible due to the great efforts of our fundraising committee, our generous hosts Dr and Mrs Guy, our sponsors, and the many wonderful people who contributed to the auction on the night.

“As the only hospice serving the local area, it is imperative that we all play our part in safeguarding its future, as sadly many of us will call upon its services in the years to come.”

Martin Dyer, manager of the Dorchester branch of Handelsbanken, who co-sponsored the event, said: “As a relationship bank rooted in the community, supporting local initiatives is a key part of our values and so we were delighted to have been one of the main sponsors of the dinner. We were overwhelmed by the staggering generosity of those that donated to this wonderful charity.”

“We were very happy to be supporting such a worthwhile local charity on its 30th anniversary,” said Patrick Woodford of Symonds and Sampson, and we were very pleased to have been one of the main sponsors of the dinner and delighted by how much was raised.”

Matt Smith, Chief Operating Officer at Weldmar Hospicecare, says: “This year, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Weldmar’s Inpatient Unit opening it’s doors for the very first time. Since then, hospice care has evolved so that much more care and support can be provided within the comfort of patients’ own homes across Dorset, to both those experiencing life limiting illness and their loved ones. What hasn’t changed in that time is the incredible support that we’ve had from people such as Sue, and her dedicated committee of fundraisers in West Dorset, and we thank them for all the time and hard work that went into raising such a wonderful total. Despite the celebrations throughout our anniversary year, we are also experiencing our most challenging times and expecting to spend a million pounds more on specialist end of life care this year than we expect in income. With just 17% of this income coming from the NHS, support from the community is more vital than ever.”

Pictured above: Staff Nurses Sarah and Annie from Weldmar’s Inpatient Unit join Sue Dean from the West Dorset Weldmar Fundraising Committee, and sponsors Patrick Woodford from Symonds and Sampson, and Martin Dyer from Handelsbanken.