Cumbria County Council and Carlisle City Council will give £20,000 worth of grants to Hospice at Home.

Cumbria County Council’s Local Committee for Carlisle agreed to award a £10,000 grant to the beloved charity which has since been matched by the city council.

The money aims to support Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland’s recovery following the pandemic.

It comes at a time as many charities have been struggling to make ends meet as fundraising opportunities have been limited.

Fiona Stobart, chief executive of Hospice at Home Carlisle and North Lakeland, said: “I would sincerely like to thank Cumbria County Council for the grant of £10,000 and also Carlisle City Council who have matched the amount.

"This tremendous amount of £20,000 will be of great value to Hospice at Home in these challenging times when we are not able to raise funds by having community events.

“To demonstrate the worth of this grant, the money will enable us to provide either 120 nights of nursing care provided by a registered nurse, or 162 nights provided by a health care assistant.

"It could also provide 883 hours of support from the family support team or 714 hours of support from the occupational therapy team.

"So, you can see why we are so delighted in receiving this money!”

Councillor Deborah Earl, the county council’s cabinet member for public health and local committees, said the charity had helped "countless families over the years through difficult times."

She added: “The last few months have been challenging for us all, especially for charities, which rely on hosting fundraising events and the work of their dedicated volunteers to ensure they can maintain their services.

“It’s fantastic news that the grant has been matched by the city council as well, and I hope the funds will help Hospice at Home to continue delivering the important services and support they provide to local communities across Carlisle.”

Carlisle City Council leader John Mallinson said: “We appreciate the hard work Hospice at Home does for our local community.

"It supports lots of our local families and during these unprecedented times, their expert help is even more important.

“We are living and working in extremely challenging times.

"We hope our financial support helps the local charity and those that need it most.”