Hundreds of people and organisations across Liverpool have rallied in support of Zoe’s Place to try and raise £6.4m for a new state of the art home to keep the charity open.
Among those who have contributed, Liverpool-based Home Bargains pledged a £2.5m donation to help save the charity – almost half of their fund-raising goal. There are high hopes that the goal can be reached within the next week to take the total across the finishing line.
The efforts follow the shock announcement earlier this month that the children’s hospice would be closing its doors at the end of the year due to lack of funds.
Saints and Sinners tattoo parlour, based on 6 Cheapside in Liverpool, held a fundraising event earlier this month with an aim of raising £1,000 for the hospice.
Graeme Roderick, one of the tattoo artists at Saints and Sinners, spoke to MerseyNewsLive about the inspiration behind the event.
He said: “Zoe’s Place is huge. I know so many people who have actually had their children in Zoe’s Place and have gone through it and it’s been a tremendous help to them.
“I couldn’t imagine having my daughter go through anything like that so for them to give that support to my friends is huge and it’s huge amongst the community as well.”
Artists at the parlour created affordable tattoo designs based around children such as teddy bears, dummies, bottles and butterflies. Prices ranged between £30 to £70, and all proceeds were put in a donation pot to help save the charity.
Zoe’s Place has until November 9 to raise just under £1m to secure the new premises in Haymans Green in West Derby. The reason for the relocation it due to their lease ending on their current premises on Yew Tree Lane, also in West Derby.
The hospice has been providing free palliative and end of life care for children with complex illnesses and disabilities and bereavement care to families since 1995 and is a much-loved organisation amongst the community.
West Derby MP Ian Byrne said: “We are so grateful for your support” as he continues to campaign for the baby hospice to remain open”.
Watch more on the MerseyNewsLive TV bulletin here.
You can donate to the campaign by clicking their JustGiving page here.
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Featured image (c) Edith Toner
