Christmas giving with a difference: Make this festive season truly special with Pilgrims Hospices
This Christmas, Pilgrims Hospices invites you to bring a little extra cheer to your workplace while making a real difference to people in need across east Kent.
With unique and thoughtful ways to give back, including a Secret Santa with a twist, and the opportunity to donate an hour of pay, Pilgrims Hospices offers easy ways to make your festive giving even more meaningful.
Secret Santa with a twist
Instead of the usual office Secret Santa gift, why not choose something with a deeper impact? By selecting an item from Pilgrims Hospices’ Amazon Wish List, you’ll be directly helping patients and their families, bringing joy and comfort to those who need it most. From craft supplies for wellbeing activities to toiletries and gardening tools, every gift serves a meaningful purpose for hospice care.
As a special touch, Pilgrims will provide a unique Secret Santa gift tag for you to give to your giftee. This token shares what you’ve purchased on their behalf, capturing the true spirit of the season and turning a thoughtful gesture into a lasting gift.
Could your last working hour of the year go a little further? By donating just one hour’s pay, you’ll be giving the gift of compassionate, end-of-life care to those in need. This simple gesture, whether made individually or as part of a collective office pledge, helps ensure Pilgrims can continue to deliver essential services and support for patients and families across east Kent.
This quick and easy donation can be made directly through our website. Encourage your workplace to join in with a group pledge and make an even bigger impact!
Let’s make this season one of heartfelt giving and community support. Join us in making Christmas truly special for all.
For more details on how your workplace can get involved, contact Leila Ilkhan, Corporate Fundraising Manager on 07525 235 287 or email [email protected].
Each year, Pilgrims Hospices care for thousands of people across east Kent, with services provided from its three hospice sites in Ashford, Canterbury, and Thanet, as well as in patients’ own homes. It costs over £17.2 million annually to run these services, much of which comes from the generous support of the local community.
29th September 2024
Local businesses making a difference in the community
Pilgrims Hospices is proud to work with a number of businesses in east Kent as they pledge their support to local hospice care.
It’s been a busy year for the Corporate and Trusts Partnerships team, and we’re incredibly grateful to our supporters who have been, and continue to be part of it. From golf days to football tournaments, volunteering and payroll giving, our corporate supporters have been busy raising vital funds, and showing their commitment to Pilgrims.
Benefits of supporting a charity
By working with Pilgrims, your business and workforce will be part of the driving force behind ensuring the charity continues to be here for people who need access to quality end-of-life care, not only now but in the future, too. With lots of commercial competition for businesses in what can often feel like a list of endless choices, pledging your support for Pilgrims can make your business stand out from the crowd.
From boosting your businesses reputation in a fulfilling way, to enhancing team morale and engagement, the benefits of supporting Pilgrims extend far beyond the value of a monetary donation.
How your business could get involved
Choose us as your next Charity of the Year
Commercial Partnership
Payroll giving
Event sponsorship
Organise an event
Staff fundraising
Volunteering
Isabel Smith, Senior Trusts Fundraiser, works with teams across the charity, both clinical and wider support staff, helping with the delivery of a range of projects, from replacing vital equipment to renovating spaces in the hospice buildings.
Over the past few months, the charity has been very grateful for the continued support we receive from charitable trusts and foundations. With this, we have been able to achieve so much:
Our kitchen garden at the Canterbury hospice was funded by Kent Community Foundation through their Environment Fund, and with care of our green-fingered volunteers, we can grow our own fresh produce.
Our Bed Appeal has been kindly supported by a number of Charitable Trusts, including Cantiacorum Foundation.
The R V Coleman Trust, the Frank Brake Charitable Trust and Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, who are all helping our patients to remain comfortable.
Funding for renovations of one of our family lounges at the Ashford hospice has been given a kick-start with support from the B&Q Foundation.
If you’d like to get involved with Pilgrims Hospices and help support thousands of people each year in east Kent, please contact [email protected].
Pilgrims Hospices is a charity dedicated to providing expert care and support to patients with life-limiting illnesses in east Kent. Our services ensure comfort, dignity, and quality of life for patients and their families, offering compassionate care both in hospice settings and in the community.
17th August 2023
Introducing our Corporate and Trusts Partnerships team
As a charity, Pilgrims Hospices relies on the invaluable support from the community including businesses, trusts and grant giving foundations to help us continue delivering care to people across east Kent.
How businesses can make a big impact on local hospice care
Corporate giving has long been an avenue for businesses to give back to the community on a national and local level and can help businesses achieve so much. With approximately 80% of Pilgrims’ income coming from voluntary donations, we rely on the support of our business community and the difference they can make.
The benefits go far beyond the impact that a monetary donation can have for the charity and can be a mouth piece for businesses to demonstrate to clients, customers and the community their social values objectives and aims. It is also a fantastic way to strengthen a business’ reputation and can have a positive impact on workforce relations and morale.
Isabel Smith, Pilgrims Senior Trusts Fundraiser, works with teams, clinical and non-clinical across all the hospice sites to identify projects to apply for funding for.
Projects can vary greatly which shows the breadth of services Pilgrims delivers and can include applying
for funding for the replacement of equipment, refurbishment projects to enhance the warm, inviting environment at each of our sites as well as core running costs which help Pilgrims to continue delivering its services free of charge.
We would like to say a big thank you to all the Trusts and Foundations who have generously supported Pilgrims including some recent donations from:
• The Albert Hunt Trust who generously donated £30,000 to contribute towards Pilgrims’ essential core running costs; their continued support is so valuable to the charity.
• The Hobson Charity who donated over £4,300 and the R.V Coleman Trust who donated over £5,200 so
we could purchase syringe drivers and lockboxes.
• Kent Community Foundation who donated over £3,300 for our Kitchen Garden project at the
Leila Ilkhan, Corporate and Trusts Partnerships Manger explains, ‘It is not an understatement to say that customers and clients are drawn to businesses who demonstrate strong charitable values. My role is to work with businesses on creating exciting partnerships which are tailored so both Pilgrims Hospices and businesses can achieve mutually beneficial goals.’
Corporate partnerships are an exciting opportunity to achieve transformational change and can take on many different forms to suit the aims of a business. Leila will sit down with a new corporate partner to advise and brainstorm ideas on what would work best for each business. This bespoke and tailored approach means we can make the most out of our partnerships and ensure companies feel part of the Pilgrims’ vision.
By partnering with Pilgrims Hospices your business will be supporting charity which has been delivering
specialist end of life care in the east Kent community for over 40 years and is at the heart of the community for so many people.
If you would like to get involved with Pilgrims Hospices and make a meaningful difference which impacts thousands of people each year please contact [email protected].
Each year Pilgrims Hospices give care and comfort to thousands of people in east Kent who are coming to terms with an illness that sadly cannot be cured. The charity support patients to live life as well as possible until the very end, free from pain and distress.
Isabel Smith, Pilgrims Senior Trusts Fundraiser, works with teams, clinical and non-clinical across all the hospice sites to identify projects to apply for funding for essential core running costs; their continued support is so valuable to the charity.
The Hobson Charity who donated
22nd June 2020
Good luck from everyone at Pilgrims!
The team at Clague Architects in Canterbury have been clocking up the miles in aid of Pilgrims Hospices. 15 members of the team have pledged to complete a total of 140 miles by cycling, walking or through other creative means.
Chris Sherlock-Scougall – Associate Architect, started off the challenge.
Chris Sherlock-Scougall, Associate Architect, started off the challenge by connecting Dymchurch and Folkestone. Getting creative, Chris ditched the traditional methods and instead donned his roller blades completing laps around his garden. He successfully covered the 10 miles he needed to pass the virtual baton over to Cheryl Warwick and Stuart Bonnage who completed the next leg to Marine Parade Dover using a more conventional manner, their bikes!
Cheryl Warwick, Architectural Technologist said: “Pilgrims is a charity close to many people’s hearts and now more than ever we need to show our support.
“This was a perfect challenge to reboot our support for Pilgrims as well as bringing the team together.”
The team are aiming to finish the relay mid July at their offices based in Burgate, Canterbury.
Good luck from everyone at Pilgrims!
We are so grateful to have businesses like Clague as part of our community.
Leila, Pilgrims
Colleagues at Clague have long been supporting Pilgrims, entering teams into various events including the annual Pilgrims Cycle Challenge which sees over 1,000 cyclists take on various routes across east Kent. In 2019, a group of staff took on the London Revolution Cycle challenge raising over £500.
Cheryl Warwick – Architectural Technologist who completed the Marine Parade, Dover leg.
Leila Ilkhan, Canterbury Community Fundraising Manager thanks the team at Clague for their wonderful support saying: “With the unexpected challenges we have been faced with over the last few months, we are so grateful to have businesses like Clague as part of our community. As a team, Clague is making a big difference to the lives of patients and their families living with an incurable illness. Their support is so very much appreciated by everyone at Pilgrims.”
Clague have set up an online giving page. If you would like to support their challenge you can do so here.
There are so many ways that you can continue to support Pilgrims. Click here for some virtual fundraising ideas.
If you would like to take on a challenge in support of Pilgrims we would love to hear from you. Please contact our fundraising team here.
We need you more than ever; our local community means everything to us.
This year alone, Pilgrims Hospices has to raise £11 million through voluntary donations in order to run our full range of services. Sponsorship raised through events like these helps us to continue caring for local people at the end of their lives.
20th July 2018
Local brewery team complete marathon challenge to support hospice care
Chief executive Jonathan Neame was among the fundraising group that walked and ran 52.4 miles, the equivalent to two marathons, from Whiteshill in Gloucestershire to Broadway Tower in Worcestershire.
The challenge is particularly demanding as Broadway Tower is the Cotswold’s highest castle, and the route involved more than 2,500m of ascent.
Other members of Team Extreme, which has been running for nine years and sees Shepherd Neame staff tackle tough endurance challenges for charity, included Head of Property Services Martin Godden, Export Controller Olly Scott, Business Development Manager Dougie Dick, National Account Manager Lee Whitehead, Commercial Estate Manager John Barnes and Development Surveyor Nick Farrant.
More than 500 competitors took part, and Olly and John finished the route in less than 11 hours 30 minutes, placing them both in the top 70. Jonathan, Martin, and Lee all finished in under 17 hours, while Dougie finished in just over 19 hours.
They raised almost £4,000, and Martin and Olly presented a cheque for £3,381 to Pilgrims Hospices on Wednesday 4 July. The remainder of the money went to Prostate Cancer UK.
During the past nine years Team Extreme has raised over £50,000 for charity, and we would like to thank everyone who has supported us.
Olly Scott, Shepherd Neame Export Controller
Martin said: “It’s the second year that we have completed the Race to the Tower, and although it is physically tough, it is a fantastic experience. It’s a great team-building activity, from the training beforehand to the actual event, and we have been delighted by the amount of money we raised for two fantastic causes.”
Olly added: “During the past nine years Team Extreme has raised over £50,000 for charity, and we would like to thank everyone who has supported us.
“The challenge was brutally hot and the course was hilly, it took all of our physical and mental strength to complete.
“We are now starting to plan a very special challenge to mark our 10th anniversary next year, so watch this space!”
Pilgrims Hospices Community Fundraising Manager Leila Ilkhan said: “Pilgrims would like to thank Shepherd Neame’s Team Extreme for their generous donation. The money raised will help us to provide care for patients and their families who need our help the most. Each year we care for around 2,500 people across east Kent, and this fundraising will make a huge difference to the care of so many.”
If you or someone you know is coping with a life-limiting illness and you think you may benefit from Pilgrims support, talk to your GP or Healthcare Professional about the options or Wellbeing and Social Programme for more information.
