£500,000 fundraising effort a huge success as target smashed

Thank you so much for your dedicated support!

We’re delighted to announce that we’ve smashed our fundraising target of £500,000 as part of our What Matters Most campaign.

Together, we’ve raised almost £600,000 and counting – an incredible amount which will help us to do so much and meet the challenges of both rising costs and growing demand.

In the video below, you can hear from a number of people who wanted to share their thanks and let you know what your money will do.

Every donation made during the 36-hour online fundraising campaign was doubled by match funders.

We’re currently responding to an increase in demand for our services, which comes at a time when income has fallen due to the cost of living crisis. A Hospice UK report this year found that the cost of living crisis could have a devastating impact on hospices in the UK, and the services we provide. 

Jez Robinson appeared in the campaign film which you can watch below. His sister, Charlotte Smith, was supported by the hospice. She died the day after her 37^th birthday in April 2017.

He said: “I’m always so grateful for the support they gave Charlotte. Everyone was so kind, so understanding and I think those days after Charlotte passed we just got great comfort from being here [at St Christopher’s].

“My mum and dad still do that now … it felt like a place where Charlotte was happy.”

The fundraising campaign was named What Matters Most – a reference to a question our staff strive to ask each of their patients, carers, loved ones and supporters; What Matters Most To You?

More than 125 teams took part in the campaign, each tasked with rallying friends, family and colleagues during the 36-hour period to show their support for the hospice via social media, text, WhatsApp or email.

A number of staff got involved in the campaign with our Sydenham Community Team organising an amazing fashion show and our Caritas House team holding a hugely successful fun day.

Each team had their own dedicated fundraising webpage and competed with other teams to see who could raise the most money.  

Jez Robinson says in the film: “In my head I had what I thought a hospice was, and I guess I was pretty scared because I knew Charlotte wasn’t well and I was kind of still hoping she was going to get better.”

He adds: “What Matters most to me, ultimately, is to continue fulfilling what my sister wanted me to do. She told me to keep raising awareness and funds for St Christopher’s, and what matters most to me is that I can continue doing that, in any way that I can. So please join me in supporting St Christopher’s while they fight rising costs.”

Ben Parish, 17, also features in the film and talks about the death of his mum and grandad and the support he received from St Christopher’s Child Bereavement service, Candle.

“I was just 12 years old when my mum died,” he says. “I had no idea. I was young and confused. St Christopher’s were there for me when I needed them and they might need to be there for you one day too.”

“They helped me open up and realise that my mum and my grandad are a part of me. Please donate during the campaign so they can continue to help people.”