I WOULD like to send thanks and best wishes to the generous people of the borough of Bury.

It is a great encouragement to everyone associated with Bury Hospice that, as we move into our 11th year, we continue to receive the support of local businesses, organisations and people, including our many friends at the Bury Times Group. Only through this support have we, as a local charity, been able to provide a high standard of terminal care for our community over the last ten years.

In common with other independent charitable hospices, the cost of running a hospice increases each year. Since we opened, we have sought to improve the care and we hope to continue to do so. This has not been easy and would have been impossible without the wonderful support of our caring fellow citizens. Staff costs, by necessity, continue to be 80 per cent of our £700,000 a year running costs. While we receive 27 per cent of our costs from the NHS, for which we are grateful, this still means that we need to find more than 70 per cent from voluntary donations.

The cost of our work is kept down by the assistance of many volunteers who give freely of their time. Volunteers give so much help, staffing the hospice reception seven days a week, driving our day patients, helping in day care, assisting at the hospice and the fund-raising office with a range of clerical tasks, and working in the shop, to name but a few. But we still need more. If any reader is interested in helping, or wishes to join our team in any voluntary activity, please call 0161 725 9800 and have a chat with our voluntary service co-ordinator. I am sure that you will find the work very rewarding.

Finally, I would like to wish all the readers a very happy and peaceful New Year and give the assurance that the hospice, with the continued support of local people, will care for our dying and their families long into the future.

C. A. CAFFREY MBE,

chairman,

Bury Hospice.