Cash crisis, but no threat to Barnard Castle's Butterwick Hospice shop

REASSURANCES have been given about the future of the Butterwick Hospice shop in Barnard Castle, despite the charity being under severe financial strain.
The charity made a loss of more than £29,000 in the year ending March 31, 2016, down from a profit of about £473,000 the previous year.
Staff have reportedly been asked to apply for voluntary redundancy or to cut their hours, and the chief executive for the past two decades, Graham Leggatt-Chidgey, has left his post.
However, the communications manager for the charity, Jackie Firth, has confirmed the shop in Barnard Castle is a “key fundraising resource” because of good local support.
She said: “The people of Barnard Castle are very helpful and generous to Butterwick Hospice. The shop is very well supported. Many people kindly Gift Aid their donations and local people volunteer their time to help raise funds for the hospice.
“The shop supports Butterwick House Hospice, which cares for babies, children and young adults aged from birth to 25 years and provides support for their families.”
Butterwick Hospice also supports adult patients in the town and last year provided day care support from the Richardson Hospital where people access support from Butterwick nursing staff, complementary therapists and family support workers.
Ms Firth said day care support was provided on 242 ocassions last year.
She added: “Butterwick nurses also provide care in patients’ homes in the Teesdale area. This involves a Butterwick nurse providing respite care for up to eight hours at a time, both day and night, to support patients and their families. During last year Butterwick’s Home Care Team freely provided almost 8,000 hours of care in patients’ homes across Teesdale and Weardale.
“We have no fears for the future of the Barnard Castle shop which is a key fundraising resource within the charity’s retail business. We would like to encourage local people to continue their much appreciated support through the shop or to donate direct to the charity through the website at www.butterwick.org.uk/donate Many local people from the area volunteer their time and energies to Butterwick Hospice to help care for patients and raise funds. Butterwick is part of the local community and is very pleased to be an integral part of the services freely provided to the communities within Teesdale. 
“We need to raise over £400,000 a year towards services provided in Teesdale and Weardale each year.”