St Oswald's Hospice Raises £27,000 Through Successful Car Raffle

St Oswald's Hospice Raises £27,000 Through Successful Car Raffle

The Vertu Motors group has helped drive St Oswald’s Hospice’s fundraising efforts after donating a brand-new Hyundai i10 to help the charity raise £27,000 through its annual Big Car Raffle.

Bristol Street Motors Hyundai Silverlink, part of Vertu Motors plc, donated the vehicle, which was won by Sally Henderson, who has long been a supporter of the charity and has bought tickets for the Big Car Raffle in previous years.

The Group has donated a car for the hospice’s Big Car Raffle every year since 2015. Altogether, Vertu and St Oswald’s have raised over £420,000 in that time.

The money raised this year equates to 964 hours of nursing care, providing 40 full days of care for a patient staying in St Oswald’s adult inpatient unit.

St Oswald's Hospice provides specialist care for adults, young people, and children with life-limiting conditions. Its services include inpatient care, day services, outpatient clinics, and bereavement support. It costs over £14.5 million each year to run the hospice, with £8.5 million needing to be raised through charitable donations and fundraising activities including the car raffle.

Sally collected her brand-new car from Bristol Street Motors Silverlink Hyundai, with Bristol Street Motors Chief Executive Robert Forrester, and St Oswald's Fundraising Marketing Manager Nikki Maguire handing over the keys.

Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu Motors plc, said: "We’re proud of our continued support of St Oswald’s Hospice and our longstanding partnership with them, which has seen hundreds of thousands of pounds raised to help fund the amazing work the charity does to care for people with life limiting illnesses and their families. It is knowing the difference that the funds raised by the cars we have donated make to the lives of those who rely on the Hospice's services that motivates us to continue our partnership each year.

“I am very pleased that the car was won by another longstanding supporter of the charity. I am even happier that the people of the North East once again showed their amazing charitable spirit and supported a truly worthwhile cause.”

Nikki Maguire, Fundraising Marketing Manager at St Oswald's Hospice, added: "We are absolutely delighted to have raised £27,000 with the support of Vertu. The Big Car Raffle is one of our most important fundraising events and helps to really raise the profile of the hospice, as well as raising a substantial sum every year. A huge congratulations to Sally. We wish her a very merry Christmas!”

Sally Henderson, the winner of the St Oswald’s Big Car Raffle, said: “I was very surprised when I got the call to say I had won the car. I think St Oswald’s Hospice is an amazing organisation that looks after people when they need it most, as well as being there to support their families.

“I’ve entered this raffle and taken part in a few different fundraising events for St Oswald’s over the years, never actually thinking I might win, so I am really delighted.”