The vibrant spirit of the Somerset community shone through during Hospice Care Week, celebrated from October 9th to October 15th.
St Margaret’s Hospice Care marked this significant week by hosting its sensational second Wear it Yellow campaign, a fundraising initiative that illuminated the county in a sea of sunshine. The week, proudly sponsored by Beehive Self Storage saw an entire community rallying together to make Somerset glow with yellow attire, fancy dress, baking, and creative decorations.
St Margaret’s in collaboration with hospices across the United Kingdom, embarked on a journey to raise awareness of hospice care, and celebrate the incredible work done to ensure that everyone has access to the highest quality end-of-life care.
Local businesses including Amicus Law, Strongvox, Priory Dental, Gather Technology, Evo Agency and Rexal Event, to name a few led the charge, setting an inspiring and colourful example for the community. Thurloxton Social Stitchers created and donated fabulous yellow head bands that many staff and volunteers proudly displayed. Meanwhile young participants from a Yeovil Brownies group joined the fun, embarking on a sponsored silence to help raise awareness and funds.
Across schools in Somerset, children participated wholeheartedly, enjoying visits from lovable hospice mascot, Busy Bee, who buzzed across the county thanking those in yellow. The hospice’s retail teams transformed their shop windows into eye-catching showcases of yellow clothing and decorations, while staff at the hospice’s Sunflower Centre Day Services in Taunton and Yeovil orchestrated a series of joyful Wear it Yellow-inspired activities for patients, leaving smiles all around. The hospice’s catering team prepared a special yellow menu for patients to enjoy, whilst hospice staff showed off their showstoppers for the St Margaret’s Bake Off.
Dedicated volunteers, decked out in bright yellow, took to the streets of Somerset with collection buckets, urging people to contribute and bolster the cause of hospice care. Rounding the week off, runners partaking in Bath Half Marathon on Sunday (October 15th) proudly wore their yellow vests as they took on the 13.1 mile challenge in aid of the hospice.
The results of this exceptional week of community spirit have been nothing short of astounding. As of the latest tally, St Margaret’s Hospice’s Wear it Yellow campaign has raised £4,000 with the promise of more donations pouring in during the upcoming days. This contribution will play a pivotal role in enabling the hospice to continue offering exceptional care and support to those in need throughout the county as well as raising awareness of the hospice.
Amy Garland, Head of Engagement and Marketing at St Margaret’s Hospice said: “The passion, commitment and support from our community has meant we’ve been able to turn Somerset yellow during our annual Wear it Yellow campaign. This campaign raises awareness of the vital services St Margaret’s offers across Somerset through community fundraising. We’re overwhelmed by the support from everyone across the county. The funds you’ve raised will help us to provide quality, compassionate care to people across Somerset when they need it most so thank you.”