Volunteers raise funds for Hospiscare

Christmas tree swap generates 16k

Exeter-based broadband company, Jurassic Fibre, has helped raise money for Devon charity Hospiscare by helping them swap Christmas trees for cash.

The award-winning telecoms company, which is currently delivering gigabit connectivity to overlooked communities across the South West, supported Hospiscare by volunteering staff members and vans to assist in the charity’s Christmas tree recycling fundraiser.

The initiative involved collecting people’s Christmas trees to recycle in exchange for donations to Hospiscare. 1,200 trees were collected from Exeter, Exmouth and Honiton by 50 volunteers, raising over £16,000 for the local hospice charity.

Hospiscare provides expert end-of-life care to people facing terminal illnesses and their families across Exeter, Mid and East Devon. Due to increasing demand for palliative care services, and a 15% rise in patients, the charity is caring for more people with less resources. It has a £1 million funding deficit that needs to be met by March 2022 or the charity will have to severely reduce its services. 

Jurassic Fibre is a member of the charity’s 40 Club, a group of businesses who pledge to donate £1000 a year. Their most recent fundraising efforts for Hospiscare included taking part in the charity’s festive fundraising campaign in December, which saw the team participate in multiple fundraising activities such as raffles, bake-offs and a Christmas jumper day.

Over the last two years, the broadband company has helped to raise significant funds for the charity. In 2021, the team took part in Hospiscare's twilight walk fundraiser by dressing in pink and completing an ambitious coastal walk. The event saw over 1,000 participants come together and raised over £50,000. 

Michael Maltby, chief executive officer of Jurassic Fibre, said: “We are very proud to continue our support of Hospiscare, an exceptional charity who provides vital support to those in our community facing life-limiting illnesses.

“Many charities and organisations have faced recent hardship due to the pandemic, with volunteering activities and events being put on hold and charity shops closing during the three national lockdowns. The work Hospiscare does is paramount, especially for the 2,500+ people in our community who face terminal illnesses, and we are dedicated to supporting them so these vital services can continue.

“Thank you to everyone who donated their Christmas trees and took part in our fundraising efforts so far. The Jurassic Fibre team look forward to continuing our support for Hospiscare throughout the coming year.” 

Jurassic Fibre has recently surpassed several significant milestones in delivering fast, full fibre broadband to rural homes and business in the region, and has so far connected over 30,000 premises across Devon, Somerset and Dorset.

Fundraising Projects Manager, Laura Robertson, commented “We would like to say a huge thank you to the team at Jurassic Fibre for supporting our Christmas tree recycling campaign. The collections are only possible with the help of our wonderful volunteers and the money raised will make such a difference to local people who depend on Hospiscare for vital end-of-life care. We are really looking forward to an exciting year ahead as we continue our partnership with Jurassic Fibre.”

To get involved or donate to Hospiscare’s SOS Appeal, click here.