Pennies from Heaven for hospice

4:03pm Tuesday 26th February 2008

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Staff at Airedale Hospital are donating pennies straight from their wage slips to Manorlands hospice.

The hospital, at Steeton, is one of the first in the NHS to initiate the Pennies from Heaven charity donation scheme.

Roger Pollard, director of corporate social responsibility, said it was a national scheme, but the NHS had only recently signed up to it.

The optional fundraising scheme involves staff rounding down their net salary to the nearest pound and donating the spare pennies to Manorlands.

Airedale estimates more than £18,000 per year could be raised for the Oxenhope hospice if every staff member signed up.

Trust chief executive Adam Cairns said: "When we asked staff who they wanted to support, Sue Ryder Care was their fist choice. We have done a lot of work to publicise this scheme and we are encouraging people to support it because it is a good, simple way to give to charity."

Steve Davison, manager of the hospice, said: "It is not just the money, which is obviously important for us because if we do not have the money then we cannot provide the care, but it is also about showing how we can work together.

"We work very closely with Airedale Hospital and we have staff who go between us and the hospital and also patients who come backwards and forwards.

"It was a nice surprise to hear it had chosen us to donate to because we didn't really know we were on the list until the decision was made."

The donations are also available for gift aid, which means an extra 28 per cent will be added by the Government. Airedale Hospital will review its chosen charity in a year's time.