Nelson Mandela Bay’s leading children’s hospice, Northwood, is in dire need of funding following a drop in corporate social responsibility support from businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The hospice work entails offering a warm, safe place of rest and care to children with life-threatening illnesses in and around the metro. In addition, grief counselling and psycho-social support are offered to the families of these children.
Leading the call for more support of the valued hospice is one of the region’s established businesses, Haslop & Mason, which has travelled a long road with Northwood Children’s Hospice.
It all started back in 2010 when a plea from a contractor to supply and donate electrical equipment led to Haslop & Mason lending a hand to Northwood.
Over the years, Haslop & Mason has helped in various practical ways, from having an annual peanut butter collection by the staff for Christmas hampers or collecting books for their book sales to the organisation’s financial support.
But, says Haslop’s managing member Kevin Dersley, Northwood needs urgent support from as many Nelson Mandela Bay businesses as possible – be it a small donation or lasting support.
“We help where we can, but Northwood is doing such valued work in the community and it can’t be sustained by just one business – as the saying goes, ‘It takes a village’,” says Dersley.
Raising funds to support the excellent work of the hospice is challenging in a post-Covid world, says Maureen Lamb, founding director of Northwood.
“Although everyone applauds and values the work we do, finding the funding to pay the staff, feed the hungry or help patients in distress remains really, really difficult,” she says, adding that the pandemic has touched so many people – those who donate and sponsor, as well as those who need the support.
“No one has been left untouched. It is a scary time for anyone running an NGO. Many face closure.”
Lamb adds that her current fund-raising project – finding the funds to build an envisioned three-wing, 24-bed unit at the hospice – is not a task for the faint of heart.
“The whole community can help to turn the despair of the past year into a wonderful beacon of hope for the children and families who will need it the most,” she says.
Lamb says that the staff at Haslop have gone above and beyond to help out.
“We are blessed to have a company like Haslop & Mason who do their best to hold us up,” says “They help me in sourcing the much-needed funds to educate the children and single-family breadwinners.”
“Their staff have even been willing to drive the children home during a time of unrest because they wanted to keep them safe. I honestly think every NGO needs a ‘go-to’ place, and Haslop & Mason have become our Northwood ‘go-to’ heroes.”
Dersley says that the management style of the hospice has impressed him the most.
“It’s effective and well run. Everything is transparent. For sponsors looking to find value in an organisation to support, it’s all there,” says Dersley.