PEMBROKESHIRE hospice at home charity Paul Sartori has been well supported by a major national giving trust, The Albert Hunt Trust, over recent years, but this year they are especially grateful for a substantial grant. 

The trust’s support has been invaluable to the charity and has helped to support the core service ensuring families are supported at end of life. 2024 has been no different to other years, where they have gracefully supported Paul Sartori with an annual donation towards its end-of-life home nursing care service.

This year, however, The Albert Hunt Trust has awarded the Pembrokeshire-based charity a substantial sum of £30,000. This is not only in recognition of all UK hospices facing funding cuts, but also the continuing challenge of the rise in the cost of living and increases in all bills borne by the charity. Of course, Paul Sartori has seen an increase in demand for its services, which continues to rise year after year.

The grant enables the charity to continue to provide the range of services and to support many local families with a life limiting diagnosis. It will contribute towards the flexible and responsive Home Nursing Care Service delivered in the county by the team.

Paul Sartori Hospice at Home offers a 24/7 on-call facility, a standby service, rapid response, as well as Registered Nurse attendance for symptom management. Working closely with other health and social care professionals they complement statutory services to deliver the right care tailored to meet the needs of end-of-life patients, their families and carers. The support provided by the charity is regarded as “invaluable”, a “great comfort” and makes “a difficult time so much easier”.

The donation will help towards providing supportive care at night so family members can get much-needed rests; will enable families to access the fast-track service, and more importantly enable families to be at home together.

Vice Chair of Paul Sartori Phil Thompson MBE said: “I am delighted to take this opportunity to give our thanks to the Albert Hunt Trust for their very generous donation of £30,000. This is not the first time they have helped us either; they have supported our charity since 2017, to the tune of a massive £96,000. Thank you very much. At times like this, words don’t seem enough, but believe me, we are extremely grateful.”

The Albert Hunt Trust was established in recognition of the successful businessman, Mr Albert Hunt, who died in 1957. He left his business jointly to two ladies: Miss Florence I Reakes (his niece) and Miss Mary K Coyle. Miss Reakes and Miss Coyle established the Trust in Albert Hunt’s name in 1979. Miss Reakes died in 1996 and Miss Coyle in 2000. They kindly bequeathed the bulk of their estates to the trust, providing it with a significant endowment and enabling it to increase its active support of charitable causes.

The trust is committed, as far as possible, to continue to provide unrestricted core funding for hospice care for the remaining years of operation and until the Trust’s entire resources have been spent, according to Operations Manager Jane Deller Ray. “Paul Sartori Hospice at Home has received faithful support as they continue their work in Pembrokeshire,” she added. The Trust plans to spend its entire resources by 2029.

Paul Sartori Hospice at Home has been providing a range of services to Pembrokeshire people living in the final stages of a life-limiting illness for over 40 years. The support now includes home nursing care, equipment loan, complementary therapy, bereavement and counselling support, physiotherapy, future care planning and training. The services provided enable people in the later stages of any life-limiting illness to be cared for and to die at home with dignity, independence, pain free and surrounded by those they hold most dear, if that is their wish. All of the services are free of charge and are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, thanks to the generosity of supporters near and far.

Further information on the charity, and its services, visit their website www.paulsartori.org, or phone 01437 763223.