Gift Aid: making your donations go further
Today on Gift Aid Awareness Day, Rowcroft Hospice is highlighting the incredible difference that Gift Aid makes. Over the past financial year alone, Gift Aid raised an astounding £185,000, helping to care for patients with life-limiting illnesses and their loved ones across South Devon. This total includes £105,000 from fundraising donations and a further £80,000 from Gift Aid on donated items sold through the hospice’s network of charity shops.
The Gift Aid scheme
“Gift Aid is a fantastic government scheme designed to help charities like Rowcroft maximise their donations,” said Jon Hill, Rowcroft’s Finance and Commercial Director (pictured right). “When you, as a UK taxpayer, donate to a charity like Rowcroft, the charity can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give. This extra money can make a big difference for us at Rowcroft, enabling us to provide more support and care to our patients.”
Signing up for Gift Aid is simple and costs nothing. Online donors can just tick the Gift Aid box on the donation form; and when dropping off items in Rowcroft’s shops, supporters can sign up to the scheme to ensure the hospice can receive Gift Aid on the sale of their donated goods. If supporters have already signed up to Gift Aid, then it’s important to let the shop know.
The difference that Gift Aid makes
Gift Aid funds go directly into providing comfort, compassion and dignity at the toughest of times. They help fund specialist nursing care at home, bereavement support for families, and expert care in Rowcroft’s Inpatient Unit in Torquay.
To put it into perspective, when a supporter gives £25, with Gift Aid that donation becomes £31 – enough to fund an hour of nursing care for a patient with complex needs in Rowcroft’s Inpatient Unit. A gift of £100 grows to £125, enough to cover the hourly cost of running Rowcroft’s entire Hospice at Home service – caring for patients across South Devon in their homes in their last two weeks of life and helping them to make the most of precious last moments with loved ones. And even donated items to Rowcroft’s shops can go further: when a donated jacket sells for £40, Gift Aid increases this to £50, enough to provide vital supplies including medications or specialised equipment for Rowcroft’s Inpatient Unit.
Supporting local hospice care
“By using Gift Aid, you’re helping Rowcroft to provide more care and support to those facing life-limiting illnesses,” added Jon Hill. “It’s a small step that increases the impact of your generosity, and it really does make a huge difference in the lives of local families.”
At a time when hospices across the country are facing growing financial pressures, Rowcroft is urging local people to make their donations go further by signing up to Gift Aid.