Community NewsNews

Each year we look to support local charities and community projects and we’re proud to welcome Little Lifts, St Martins Norfolk and Priscilla Bacon Hospice instore to share some of our recent fundraising efforts.

More about the charities:

St Martins addresses the needs of homeless people in Norwich and Norfolk. They offer emergency accommodation, residential care and support and development to enable everyone to achieve their full potential and a greater level of independence. They help homeless people and those at risk by offering them a helping hand. St Martins nurture their self-esteem and trust in other people whilst empowering them to make positive choices. To some, St Martins is a lifelong solution. To others, a stepping stone to help people rebuild their lives.

Little Lifts believe that small gestures can make a big difference to women having chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. Every year approximately 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK, making it the most common cancer and they’re on a mission to support them. They aim to provide practical and emotional support to women who face chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, giving them a carefully created box at the start of or during their treatment. They do this by working directly with hospitals in Norfolk and Suffolk, where boxes are given out to patients during chemotherapy planning or review meetings with their Oncology or Breast Care Team. The Little Lifts mission is to reach as many women as possible in East Anglia.

Priscilla Bacon Lodge in Norwich is the existing hospice delivering specialist end-of-life care for the people of Norfolk and Waveney. It was built over 40 years ago, following a county-wide fundraising appeal led by Priscilla, Lady Bacon. The population of Norfolk has grown by over 220,000 since then, creating a level of demand that can no longer be met by the building. Despite the excellent work of Priscilla Bacon Lodge and other end-of-life services, the percentage of the population able to receive specialist end-of-life care in Norfolk and Waveney is amongst the lowest of any English county, therefore they need to raise £12.5 million to build a new hospice to replace Priscilla Bacon Lodge.