A charity donation is helping fund end of life care from a dedicated hospice in Somerset.

St Margaret’s Hospice Care has been awarded £1,000 from Persimmon Homes South West’s Community Champions fund.

This donation could cover the cost of up to 10 community visits allowing specialist community nurses to provide care and support for local patients in the comfort of their own homes.

Kara Frampton, area manager community partnerships who made the successful funding bid on behalf of St Margaret’s Hospice Care, said: “Covid-19 has taken a huge toll on our ability to fundraise but our services have become busier. In the New Year, our 24-hour adviceline took more calls than it has taken in its 10 years of existence. Anxious and fearful families, carers and patients are relying on this lifeline and our bereavement team is supporting more families than ever as they cope with their grief and loss in isolation.

“End of life care can’t stop because of Covid and this donation helps us continue to provide care to patients and their families, we are so grateful for the support from Persimmon Homes.”

Stacey Harris, sales director at Persimmon Homes South West, said: “This charity has a large impact on the lives of its clients and their families and we’re humbled to hand over £1,000 funding to the team at St Margaret’s, especially as it will be put to such good use. “Persimmon Homes South West has had a fantastic response to its Community Champions scheme and it is always a tricky task to pick our winners each month.

“If applicants were unsuccessful last month, we urge them to visit the Persimmon Homes website and to try again and hopefully they will become our next Community Champion. We are always keen to support the communities in which we build.”

The housebuilder’s national match-funding programme Community Champions seeks to support groups and charities working to improve the quality of life for local people.

Each month the Exeter-based builder donates up to £2,000 to community groups across the region. This also happens across Persimmon’s other 31 operating areas, meaning up to £64,000 is dished out every single month – a total of £768,000 a year.

Organisations can apply for funding by completing a simple online form at www.persimmonhomes.com/charity.