Philanthropists donate £300,000 to Hospice

Two of the country’s most generous philanthropists have donated £300,000 to East Cheshire Hospice.

Billionaires Julia and Hans Rausing have already given an initial £100,000 grant, with the same amount due in each of the next two years.

It is part of an £8.7m grant from the couple to 27 hospices nationwide to help them meet the significant increase in day-to-day running costs, caused by inflation and high energy prices.

Julia was brought up at Doddington Hall, her family’s 35,000-acre estate near Nantwich, by her father Sir Evelyn Delves Broughton and mother Helen Mary Shore, a barrister.

Her husband Hans is the grandson of the founder of the food packaging giant Tetra Pak.

The Rausings donate around £50m a year to organisations working in health and wellbeing, welfare and education and arts and culture.

Julia and Hans said: “The rising cost of living has left hospices in a perilous financial position. We know many are receiving fewer or smaller donations than in previous years, so we hope that these grants can be a lifeline, enabling these wonderful hospices to continue providing care and support in their communities across the UK.”

Rachel Allcock, Income Generation Director at East Cheshire Hospice, said: “We extend our heartfelt thanks to Julia and Hans Rausing for their extraordinary generosity and for championing the cause of hospice care.

“We’re overwhelmed with gratitude and this significant contribution will help us enhance our services and make a meaningful difference to the lives of patients and families.

“Julia and Hans are beacons of kindness and their support will resonate for years to come, bringing comfort and solace to those facing challenging times.

“East Cheshire Hospice faces severe economic challenges like the rest of the hospice sector and we rely on the goodwill of donors whether their support is large or small.

“It has been a particularly tough few years for us financially with the pandemic, soaring energy costs and a rise in the general cost of living.

“Yet despite these setbacks, we continue to serve our community with the highest possible standards of palliative care.”