b'Focus on FundraisingHow are we funded?more of the funding we need to deliver the services that you, our community, deserve.This year, to highlight the shortfall, we held our rst ever St Marys Dayon March 22nd. This is the day of the year that, if we started on January 1st, our government funding would run out, leaving us unable to pay for our services. Hospice UKs Chief Executive, Toby Porter, visited us to mark the rst St Marys Day.He said: Ive been really inspired by the work that they do here at St Marys. Its a fantastic local community here and Im grateful that they love and support St Marys, but the 22nd of March is far, far too early in the year for their central funding to run out. The government should do more, and were pressing them, on behalf of St Marys and all the other hospices in our network, to step up and do more.St Marys Head of Communications and Community Engagement, Karl Connor, said: Funding levels are decided by local NHS leadersmeaning they are vastly dierent in As you can see from the graph, the vast majority of ourdierent parts of the country. Ours, sadly, is one of the lowest. funding comes from youour community. We get just 22%If we were able to secure 30% from Government, which is the of our costs funded by the government, via the NHS. Wenational average, wed be in a much better position. know our teams in fundraising, retail and hospitality are fantastic at what they do, and we know how loved andThere is a looming funding crisis across palliative care in the supported we are by the community. Because of this, well beUK. Were really fortunate here in that weve got a very entering our 35th year in a strong position. supportive community, and amazing teams running our fundraising and retail operations who manage, just about, to But there are so many variables and things which are outsidebring in the money we need to provide the high standard of of our control. If we have a really wet summer and all ourcare that people across South Lakes and Furness deserve. events are cancelled, how do we plug the gap that would create? If we have a costofliving crisis and people cant aordReducing costs would mean not being able to help as many to donate, how do we plug the gap that would create? Wepeople as we do currently, and with demand for our services were very fortunate during the pandemic years that thegrowing yearonyear, that isnt something we want to government stepped up and gave extra support to hospices,contemplate, so were doubling down on increasing income. but that was a decision taken in the moment and there is no guarantee that it would be repeated, if we were ever able toOver the next few pages well tell you about some of the ways nd ourselves in a lockdown position again. you can support us, if youre able to. Were working with other hospices in the North West to share best practice and, as members of Hospice UK, to lobby politicians to give hospices like ours more security by providing15'