Happy New Year to all of our supporters

I can’t believe another 12 months has passed and we’re looking back at 2019.

The last year has been a bit of a whirlwind at St Ann’s, with so much going on as we launched new services for patients and their families, and developed new and innovative ways to raise the money we need to continue providing our specialist care.

This year we’ll be entering our 50^th year of caring for local patients, and as we lead up to our 50^th birthday in May 2021, it’s amazing to reflect on the fact that St Ann’s has been providing care for generations of people across Greater Manchester for almost half a century.  But, what’s even more amazing, is the fantastic communities who have supported us and enabled us to provide that care – we simply wouldn’t still be here without you.

Local people have been so supportive over the years, whether that’s by choosing to come to our events, make donations, remember us in their Will, play our lottery, or grab a bargain in one of our 14 hospice shops.  And with £20,000 a day to fundraise to keep our services running for local patients, we couldn’t be more grateful for your help.

We’ve exciting plans for the coming year, which we’re hoping will make a real difference to the lives of future generations of patients with life-limiting illnesses in our local communities.  We need to ensure that specialist hospice care provision is still here in fifty years’ time, that the hospice care of the future remains fit for purpose, and that it’s suitable for meeting the ever-changing needs of patients, right when they need it most.  I’ve absolutely no doubt that, as we share plans and look ahead to the next half-century of care in Greater Manchester, our amazing supporters will rally round to help us to ensure that we can continue to do just that.

I’d, therefore, like to wish a very Happy New Year to you all and send a sincere thank you for all your kind and unending support for our work.

Whether you’re one of more than 700 fantastic volunteers who give your valuable time to help us, someone who has been to one of our events, or made a donation, or you’re a health professional who has helped us to provide the very best care for local patients, I can’t thank you enough.

Time does fly by so quickly but you really do enable us to make every minute, hour and day count for our patients and their loved ones.

We’re extremely grateful, and I wish you all the best for what I’m sure will be an exciting and prosperous new year.