A DALE group which has raised more than £60,000 for end of life care since it was formed seven years ago is desperately looking for more people to help out.
Cash raised by Teesdale’s fundraising committee for Marie Curie has covered the cost of about 3,000 hours of specialist nursing care for people facing terminal illnesses.
The dale group was formed around Staindrop resident Virginia Trotter who has been president of the charity in the north for a number of years.
Liz Beadle, who wanted to get into the volunteering sector after retiring, joined when she saw the group was looking for a secretary.
She said Marie Curie nurses fulfil a crucial role in providing care and support in the home, particularly at night when district nurses are not available.
She added: “It is available to anyone affected by a terminal illness.
“You can also speak to a Marie Curie nurse by calling the support line.
“The nurses are there to answer clinical questions people have about their own condition, or a family member, friend or someone they are caring for.”
The charity currently has a rapid response service which operates out of St Cuthbert’s Hospice, at Neville’s Cross.
Ms Beadle said: “Once patients are referred to this service, they are given a phone number they can call to receive a visit from a Marie Curie nurse at short notice.
“This is normally at night when there are no other services available, other than hospitals and A&Es.
“The rapid response service helps prevent someone being admitted to hospital and helps keep them safe and comfortable in their own homes,” she added.
Marie Curie was founded soon after a public fundraising effort was launched to rebuild the Marie Curie Hospital, in Hampstead, after it was bombed in 1944.
The hospital committee decided to establish the Marie Curie Foundation because they felt the newly formed NHS did not give enough emphasis on end-of-life care for cancer patients.
The charity later expanded from solely supporting and caring for cancer victims, to anyone with a terminal illness.
The Teesdale group supports a variety of national initiatives such as the Daffodil Appeal when they carry out street collections on April 4, as well as hosting a number of their own events, including coffee mornings.
The group achieved national fame when, in 2016, they hosted an event at Thornton Hall and raised £25,000 – it was the single largest amount raised by a Marie Curie event in the country.
Other events include a Blooming Great Tea Party during July at Gorst Hall, in Staindrop, which raises about £700 and a Christmas coffee morning which last year raised £537.
The next major fundraiser will be a week-long collection at Morrisons Supermarket, in Barnard Castle, starting on March 9, followed by a Food and Flowers event at the Scarth Hall, in Staindrop, on March 25, which features a lunch and a floral demonstration.
Anyone who would like to help the group by volunteering their time at the supermarket collection or during any of the events can contact Ms Beadle on 01833 695090, or call in at the shop on Horsemarket, Barnard Castle.
