A MAJOR 36-hour fund-raising drive for St Margaret’s Hospice has comfortably beaten its £100,000 target.

The ‘Every Moment Counts’ appeal hit the target in just 13 hours and went on to bring in more than £160,000 in the day and a half over which it was run last week.

The total will continue to rise as cash donations from activities held during the period are added.

The appeal was planned for awareness and income generation to celebrate the charity’s 45th anniversary and kick-start its new five-year strategy ‘Time to Care, Now and Always’.

The charity recruited 80 champions to spread the word, reach out to their networks, and fund-raise on behalf of the hospice, who mustered nearly 1,300 donations.

The funds were then doubled by Somerset individuals and trusts which pledged to match the first £70,000 raised.

The new strategy reflects learning by St Margaret’s in the past 45 years and considers how it can most effectively safeguard hospice care for future generations in Somerset.

It highlights the positive role hospices can play in helping people to live well, and wants to encourage people to see hospice care as a resource available at an earlier stage of their condition.

At the same time, St Margaret’s wants to better understand unmet needs and educate the wider healthcare sector about hospice care so more people can benefit.

The £160,917 raised from the appeal will help the hospice support more people facing a life-limiting illness much earlier in their journey, helping them to live well for as long as possible and spend special moments with their loved ones.

Funds were raised in a variety of ways during the 36-hour appeal, all driven by personal stories, including donations made in memory of loved ones, fashion shows, summer solstice barbecues, sponsored walks, and bucket collections.

Head of fund-raising Hannah Roberts said: “It has been wonderful to see how this appeal has captured people’s imagination and motivated them to play a role in something so important.

“Across Somerset, individuals, families, local businesses, shops, sports clubs, and groups of friends came together to stand up and be counted as part of this incredible fund-raising appeal.”

Ms Roberts said it cost about £15 million to run the hospice each year, including its 31 charity shops, 75 per cent of which had to be raised from the local community.

Director of fund-raising, retail, and communications Joanna Hall said: “This was about the power of our community pulling together and demonstrating that collectively we can achieve something very special.

“Times are incredibly tough for people, and there are so many worthy causes that deserve funding, so we really do not take this support for granted.

“It has been a humbling experience, and in many respects, this is just the beginning as we maintain the momentum, spend the funds wisely, and look forward to sharing with our community how their generous donations are helping us to deliver our new strategy for Somerset.

“Ultimately, we are here to serve you, and we survive because of you.”