Post lockdown shoppers’ donations give children’s hospice a boost

Kind South Yorkshire shoppers have had a huge post lockdown clear out and given a welcome boost to families who need the support of local children’s hospice, Bluebell Wood.
A whopping 191 bags of unwanted clothes, shoes and toys were donated by customers at Lakeside Village for the first Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice’s Bag it for Bluebell pick up at the centre since February.
Lyndsey Parry, deputy centre manager at Lakeside Village, said: “We’re overwhelmed by the number of bags our customers have donated. This is almost double the normal monthly collection.
“We’ve been collecting for Bluebell Wood since 2008 and only once before have we received more than 191 bags.
“It is wonderful to see that even though our customers have been in lockdown due to the global pandemic they still think of others.”
Each bag raises an average of £15, equating to £2,865 in funding for the hospice this month. And, over the past 12 years, Lakeside Village has collected more than 10,200 bags for Bluebell Wood which is the equivalent of £153K in funds raised for the charity.
Added Lyndsey: “We are proud to be able to continue to support Bluebell Wood, the hospice is a vital resource for the region, offering care to children and young adults whose lives are too short; and their families.
“Huge thanks to our extremely generous customers who donated to the Bag It for Bluebell scheme.”
Bluebell Wood currently supports over 300 families, both in their own homes and at the hospice in North Anston. This support includes end of life care, short breaks, music therapy, counselling, sibling support, home visits and more.
All of its services are completely free, and its hospice – surrounded by six-and-a-half acres of land –  houses eight bedrooms and accommodation for family members, as well as a lounge area, dining room, sensory room, a cinema room and more.
Terri Hanson, Head of Retail at Bluebell Wood, said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to each and every shopper at Lakeside Village who has supported our Bag it for Bluebell scheme this year.
“At Bluebell Wood, every day is about making special memories that families we support can treasure, whether they have days, weeks, or more together.
“Only around 9% of our funding comes from government sources so we simply wouldn’t be able to help local families when they need us the most without our incredible supporters –  like the shoppers at Lakeside village.
“The pre-loved items that customers have kindly donated are sold in our shops and help to raise the £4.8 million we need to keep our doors open each year. We really couldn’t do it without fantastic organisations like Lakeside Village.”
Bags are collected the last Saturday of every month throughout the year and the centre is looking forward to receiving donations throughout 2020.
To find out how you can help Bluebell Wood make more memories with the families in its care, both in the community and at the hospice, please visit www.bluebellwood.org.