Airport to raise funds for new bedded facility at Treetops Hospice
Staff at East Midlands Airport (EMA) have chosen Treetops Hospice Care as their charity of choice.
The airport hopes to raise money to pay for the equivalent of one bedroom in Treetops’ new 12-bed facility which will allow the charity to offer residential care to people in the last weeks of life. The carefully designed surroundings will make the experience of living, dying and remembering the very best it can be. Currently, local patients who are unable to stay at home spend their final precious days in a nursing home or acute hospital ward.
The Risley-based charity provides end-of-life support to adults with life-limiting conditions, and those who’ve been bereaved, and their families.
Airport staff were invited to nominate charities to support that they felt passionately about. Once all nominations were in, they voted for their favourite. Nine local charities were shortlisted.
Treetops was nominated by EMA’s Compliance Manager (Security) who received bereavement counselling following her father’s diagnosis of cancer. Treetops is widely respected for the quality and breadth of services provided to adults with life-limiting illnesses such as cancer, respiratory and heart disease and multiple sclerosis - and their families.
Lucy’s father, Stuart, was just 61 when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Sadly, by the time of diagnosis, the disease had spread to other parts of his body and Stuart passed away just 12 days later. On the day he died, Stuart was due to give Lucy’s sister, Jennifer, away at her wedding.
Lucy says: “Treetops supported my family with bereavement counselling and complementary therapy following the loss of my dad. Without charities like Treetops, I wouldn’t be on the road to recovery and be able to understand, manage and control my grief and be back working full time.”
Colleagues at EMA were inspired by Lucy’s story and the great work done by Treetops. As a result, the charity came out top in the airport vote.
Karen Smart, East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director, says: “I’m delighted that we will fundraise for Treetops. All the charities that were shortlisted are fantastic and do great work and I would have been pleased to support any of them. Treetops’ hopes for a new residential facility will transform and enhance the end-of-life experience for people who have a life-limiting illness and their families. We hope that, with our support, we can help them achieve this ambition very soon as it will have a profound impact on the quality of palliative and end-of-life care in this region.”
Julie Heath, Treetops' Chief Executive, said:
“We’re absolutely delighted that East Midlands Airport has chosen to support the hospice and our plans for a new bedded unit at Risley. This will make a huge difference to those approaching the end of their life, and their families, in the local community.”