Ireland’s biggest coffee morning takes place on Thursday September 18, and the Galway Hospice is asking Galwegians to “have a cuppa” in support of their local hospice.
Now in its 22nd year, the event is an all-Ireland fundraiser to secure vital funds for local hospice care services.
Since “Ireland’s biggest coffee morning” began in 1993, Bewley’s has been, and continue to be, the event sponsor. The national target is to raise €2 million – in other words one million cups of Bewley’s coffee.
People in workplaces, homes and local organisations across Ireland are being asked to hold a coffee morning and to collect €2 for each cup of Bewley’s fresh coffee served. Complimentary Bewley’s fresh coffee packs will be provided to all coffee morning hosts. What is important is that all money raised locally stays locally, and goes directly back to fund local hospice care services.
In June 2014 Galway Hospice lodged a planning application with Galway City Council for a proposed expansion of its facility in Renmore. The project will involve the construction of an additional six inpatient rooms with enhanced counselling and therapy areas, as well as providing overnight self-contained accommodation for families.
The project also includes a significant increase in home care and day care services, to meet the increasing demand for these services. In the longer term, the complete relocation of hospice services to a new 26-bed facility on a greenfield site is planned.
Galway Hospice has been providing hospice services since 1990, and its specialist inpatient, home care and day care services remain hugely in demand. In 2013, the Galway Hospice Home Care team made 5458 ‘Hospice at Home’ visits and there were 1307 attendances by patients to the day care centre.
Currently, the HSE provides funding towards the Galway Hospice inpatient services only, while the home care and day care services do not receive any State funding. As a result the Galway Hospice must raise in the region of €1.6 million every year to continue providing these services, and to supplement the cost of inpatient services.
Details of registering as a host and to receive the complimentary promotional pack which includes Bewley’s ground or instant coffee, can be obtained by contacting the fundraising team at Galway Hospice on 091-770868, or by emailing [email protected].
