Hospice cash crisis: West Yorkshire children’s hospice faces 'impossible choices' as urgent appeal launched to fill £1m funding gap

Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice has launched a desperate bid to raise funds and may have to make staff redundant.

The hospice – which cares for youngsters across Calderdale, Kirklees and the rest of West Yorkshire – says it faces a staggering £1m funding gap and needs to permanently cut costs by 12 per cent – around £750,000 per year.

To do so, the charity is looking at making up to 16 members of staff redundant and changing the way care is delivered.

CEO Gareth Pierce described this as a “difficult decision” but stressed that swift action must be taken to protect the service for years to come.

He highlighted rising staff and energy costs, uncertainty over future statutory funding and a tough year for fundraising and the charity’s shops as factors contributing to the shortfall.

Mr Pierce continued: “As always, the children and families we care for are at the heart of everything we do and we will do whatever we can to minimise the impact on them.

"And we will continue to fight and campaign for increased and recurrent statutory funding so that we can build a sustainable future for our children’s hospice and the vital services we provide to the local community.

"But right now, we face some impossible choices – and if we don’t act now, we face an even bleaker future.

“That’s why we’re making this urgent appeal to the public – please make a donation today. Your generosity will help children and families going through the darkest of times to continue to receive the high quality, expert care they need and deserve, that they simply can’t get anywhere else.”

Jeremy Cross, chair of trustees at Forget Me Not, said: “It is with deep regret that we now face the prospect of making highly qualified and caring professionals redundant, and we’re doing everything we can to support everyone who’s affected by this.

“By doing all that we can to make up the shortfall in our finances now, we’re making sure we can be here for families, today, tomorrow and in the years to come.

"Simply put, if we run out of funds, our children’s hospice won’t be here anymore.”

Donations can be made by visiting www.forgetmenotchild.co.uk/donate .