Car auction specialist G3 Remarketing has pledged to cover the cost of employing a Prince of Wales Hospice nurse – for the second year in a row.
The £40,000 donation will help the charity to continue supporting people with life-limiting illnesses and their families.
This is the latest in a series of fundraising drives from G3, which first began in 2010 when director Matt Dale completed four marathons and an ultra-marathon to raise valuable funds for the Hospice. But wanting to take this support even further, the firm as a whole has since donated over £100,000 to the worthy cause.
The funds supplied by G3 last year made extra money available elsewhere at the Hospice – allowing the nurses to care for more people with complex conditions. The team has also begun replacing all beds with high tech models that can be programmed to allow patients to turn and move more freely around their rooms – as well as reducing the number of falls.
In addition to this, registered nurse Mandy Metcalfe has been able to undertake specialist training in ‘Palliative Care Concepts and Practice’, which has enhanced both her and the team’s knowledge of how illnesses can impact holistic needs.
Commenting on the drive behind G3’s continued support, Matt said: “The Hospice is one that I have held close to my heart for many years, so to see and hear what they have managed to do with our help is amazing. It has really highlighted that the money donated goes towards essential work, such as maintaining the facility – not just marketing budgets and executives’ wages. That was a key reason why we chose to cover the cost of employing a nurse again.”
Matt is also the honorary founder of the charity’s ‘Club 5’ – created last November for businesses of all sizes that want to give something back to the Hospice. The initiative asks companies to pay a membership fee of £250+VAT per year, which grants them access to exclusive quarterly networking meetings, where they can connect with like-minded firms and business people.
Tracey Mearns, partnership development coordinator for The Prince of Wales Hospice, commented on Matt’s role in the creation of the club: “Last year I personally approached Matt as one of our long-term supporters, to quiz him on what he would want from a member’s perspective, so he was instrumental in helping to establish the scheme which we launched in 2017.”
Laura Bennett, head of income generation at the Hospice, added: “We can’t thank the G3 team enough for their continued donations. They are by far our most generous corporate supporter in the region, which means a lot! It shows they are confident in our care and want to make it available to other local people with life-limiting illnesses.”
The Prince of Wales Hospice was founded in 1989 and helps over 300 in-patients per year. An additional 1,000 people also receive support and advice from the facility through Outreach sessions and lymphoedema clinics.
