Thousands in tutus raise almost £400,000 for hospice

An annual event that saw thousands don pink tutus and bunny ears has raised almost £400,000 to support a hospice.

More than 3,500 people took part in the Sparkle Night Walk in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, in June, and the Ashgate Hospice has now confirmed the event raised its highest ever total, £388,238.

Earlier this year funding was agreed with the Derby and Derbyshire integrated care board (ICB), securing its future in the short-term after Ashgate had cut jobs and warned it may need to "scale back" services.

Jack Wood, director of income generation, said: "Whilst we were pleased to secure a new contract with the ICB, we still remain hugely reliant on the community."

The annual event saw participants set off from Chesterfield Football Club on a 10km (6.2 miles) route through the town.

Since it launched in 2015, Sparkle Night has raised more than £2.9m for the hospice, which Wood said showed "that people don't just value the care we provide, they want to actively support it".

Hospices across the UK are facing financial crises driven by rising inflation, energy bills and staffing costs.

While the government has announced a £125m capital investment for facilities and £80m for children's hospices over three years, sector leaders and charity Hospice UK warn that a lack of recurring, core NHS funding leaves many facilities cutting beds and services.

The Department of Health and Social Care said in June it had made the "biggest investment in hospices in a generation", and would soon set out plans to improve palliative and end-of-life care.

Ashgate Hospice says it must raise about £11m each year to continue providing its services, with about a third of its funding coming from the NHS.

The ICB funding agreement helps to cover a predicted £2.6m shortfall due to inflation, energy bills and staff salaries, which led to the loss of 19 jobs.

Wood said: "Our community support is absolutely crucial to Ashgate. It enables us to continue providing the outstanding care that local people rely on, both in their own homes and on our Inpatient Unit.

"We never take this support for granted.

"Every pound raised is a result of the generosity of our community, and it is that generosity which enables us to do more and continue providing the very high standard of care we are so proud of."

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