Recently-bereaved families and individuals in Poole are being supported through a £1,000 Community Champions donation.

Forest Holme Hospice, part of University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust, strives to enhance the lives of adults with life-limiting illness, through its clinical excellence and compassionate care.

Currently, the charity is raising money for much-needed bereavement counselling, as fundraising and communications manager Lewis Hay explained:

“Due to the pandemic, we know that there will be a greater and more long-term need for bereavement counselling, as some families were unable to be close to their loved ones at the end of their life and weren’t able to have the funeral they would have wished for due to social distancing restrictions that were in place at the time.

“This generous grant from Persimmon will fund many sessions of counselling. In these sessions we aim to provide a safe space for more people to explore their situation and build coping strategies, reduce future emotional damage and encourage more social interaction.”

Persimmon Homes Coast director in charge Joe Lindsay, added: “We are acutely aware of the impact that Coronavirus has had in the communities where we operate. Not only has the pandemic cost many lives but it kept families apart at critical times and even prevented funerals taking place in the normal way.

“We have great admiration for the work of Forest Holme Hospice and hope that our donation will enable more people in and around Poole to benefit from their excellent bereavement counselling work.”

The £1,000 donation was made the Community Champions program. Under the scheme, each regional business within the national group is able to select two local charities or good causes every month for one-off financial support.

To apply for a donation or find out more about Community Champions, visit: https://www.persimmonhomes.com/community-champions