Neil Hamilton, MS for Mid and West Wales, and Leader of UKIP Wales is calling on his constituents to support a national charity this month.
Mr Hamilton, a member of the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs committee, is urging people to donate and wear their iconic Marie Curie daffodil to help the charity’s nurses provide care and support to people living with a terminal illness.
He said: “As with all charities, it has been an extremely difficult year for fund raising with Covid restrictions making it virtually impossible to collect any money.
“For the first time in its 35 year history, end of life charity Marie Curie’s flagship fundraiser the Great Daffodil Appeal, has had to cancel all of their public collections for the campaign, leaving the charity with a potential loss of over £3 million.
“Funds raised through the Marie Curie Great Daffodil Appeal help provide care and support to people at a time when they need it most, be that through a Marie Curie nurse at home or in a hospice, or by speaking to the charity’s Information and Support line.
“Although we cannot buy our pins from local collectors this year they can be bought on line and donations can also be made this way.
“Despite the pandemic, I know the people of Wales will join me in supporting those affected by terminal illness across the country by proudly wearing their Marie Curie daffodil throughout February and March and donating to this very worthwhile cause.”
The Great Daffodil Appeal is the largest fundraising campaign in the hospice sector and, since it began in 1986, the money raised has helped Marie Curie run its essential frontline services providing care and support to people with terminal illnesses and their families across the UK.
The last 12 months have been extremely difficult as key fundraising events have been cancelled and all Marie Curie’s charity shops have had to close. Despite the cancelled collections, the charity is calling on the public to dig deep and donate online, where they can also order their iconic daffodil pins too.
Last year, the charity saw a 16.5 per cent rise in the number of people they cared for at end of life, compared to 2019 and their support line saw a 20 per cent increase in calls too.
All donations from the Great Daffodil Appeal will ensure that Marie Curie Nurses, doctors and hospice staff can continue working on the frontline throughout the pandemic caring for people and their families in the charity’s nine hospices and in their own homes.
The pandemic has also exposed the fragility of the hospice and end of life care sector, which is reliant on donations from the public to survive.
Figures show that within the next 10 years, more than six million people will die in the UK and of this number 75 per cent will need end of life care.
Meredith Niles, Executive Director of Fundraising and Engagement at Marie Curie, said: “The Great Daffodil Appeal is vitally important to us. Having been held every March for over three decades, this is the first time we’ve had to cancel all of our public collections which is a huge blow as each volunteer would raise £80 from a collection shift, enough to pay for the equivalent of four hours of nursing care.
“The campaign would normally bring together millions of people across the country to volunteer, fundraise, donate and wear a daffodil and we’re still encouraging people to do this in any way they can in a safe manner.
“Around 300 people a day already miss out on the end of life support they need and we expect this figure to rise as a result of the pandemic, combined with usual winter pressures associated with seasonal flu and the backlog of people who have missed diagnoses.
“In these unprecedented times we need people’s support now more than ever in helping us raise money to continue our vital work across the country and ensure Marie Curie Nurses can be there to provide end of life care when people need it."
For more information on how to fundraise, donate or set up a virtual collection for Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal visit: www.mariecurie.org.uk/daffodil