Our first ever gold patron, Cranswick Continental Foods (Cranswick) came to Bury Hospice last week to celebrate the presentation of their patron plaque.

The plaque ceremony formally marked the amazing pledge Cranswick has made to raising £15,000 per year for the hospice, over the next three years.

The hospice patron scheme consists of a collection of individuals, groups and companies that commit to financially supporting us over a three-year period, raising vital funds within a set annual financial bandwidth.

There are currently three patronage strands: bronze (donation of £5,000-£9,999 per annum), silver (donation of £10,000-£14,000 pa), and gold (donation of £15,000 or over pa).

Cranswick’s enthusiasm and commitment to the hospice cause is tremendous and we look forward to working closely with one another.

We were proud to welcome the Cranswick team to our lovely site where I and hospice trustee, Ruth Deakin, showed them around, introducing them to staff and volunteers.

It was a great opportunity for the Cranswick attendees, Jenny Aspray, Mike Palmer, Neil Ormston and Alistair Macdonald, to see first-hand the services that we provide and to also hear about some of the challenges we face.

Cranswick kindly supplied 80 scrumptious lunch boxes, containing a selection of continental meats, cheeses, olives, and sweet peppers, on the day to celebrate the plaque presentation.

The food was kindly shared among staff team members, volunteers, visitors to the Christie (NHS Foundation Trust) clinic, and walkers from our bereavement walking group.

The delicious lunch parcels were followed by a lovely cake which had both of our logos on it; the whole event was very enjoyable.

As patrons, Cranswick is helping the hospice to provide the best care possible to people across the borough with life-limiting illnesses, as well as supporting their family members.

Patron donations, much like other financial support methods made to the hospice, positively impacts local lives immensely.

Each partner organisation is on its own journey according to the size of its annual donation, and each can move up a patronage level if their donations surpass the range of their existing strand.

The hospice relies on the much needed support of individuals and organisations within our local community, to ensure its running.

We need to raise approximately £4m each year to provide our essential care and support services, the bulk of which comes from the generous donations of our community.

We at the hospice are hugely grateful to our patron partners who are constantly finding new ways of raising and donating funds in progressive support of our community.

I’m personally looking forward to seeing Cranswick’s copy of the plaque when it’s in situ at their site in Roach Bank Road, Bury.

To become a patron of the hospice, get in touch with corporate fundraiser Nina Camplin at ninacamplin@buryhospice.org.uk or call 0161 543 9683.