Bolton Hospice is launching its most ambitious fundraising campaign yet to raise a total of £100,000.

The Making Every Moment Count appeal starts on Sunday, March 1 and is a 36-hour match funding campaign to help raise vital funds to sustain Hospice specialist services during 2026.

It involves Champions – local people who support the Hospice – who sign up for this pioneering appeal and Matchers, local businesses and organisations who pledge to double donations made during the appeal.

Every day, Hospice staff and volunteers make every moment count for patients facing life-limiting illness. They support both patients and families through some of the most difficult days of their lives.

But these are very challenging times for hospices and Bolton Hospice urgently needs local people and businesses to actively help them with this ambitious appeal.

Like many hospices across the country, Bolton Hospice is still facing a financial crisis.

It costs £7 million annually to run its services – from 24/7 inpatient care to the specialist Hospice at Home team, the flexible drop-in support sessions at the Wellbeing Hub, bereavement support and much more.

Bolton Hospice must raise £5.5 million of this £7 million running costs RIGHT NOW to keep their services going this year.

The gap they are facing today puts pressure on everything they do. With mounting rising costs and no additional funding exacerbating an already fragile financial situation, they continue to face an uncertain future.

And no-one in Bolton wants to think of a future without our wonderful Hospice.

So the launch of Making Every Moment Count is vitally important and the Hospice is calling on everyone to get behind this short-term campaign.

As Hospice Fundraiser Kathryn Willett explained: “We know that time is precious. Every patient and family deserves moments of love, laughter and togetherness.

“Every family deserves to make every moment count. That’s why we are launching our first ever 36-hour match funding campaign.”

To have the biggest impact in this short time, Bolton Hospice is calling on as many hospice supporters as possible to become Champions.

They help extend the appeal’s reach to their own networks, unlocking the full pot of match funding.

After signing up to be a Champion, you will receive your own Making Every Moment Count Toolkit, fundraising page and unique link to share with friends, family, colleagues and neighbours.

In fact, anyone who would be able to help.

Whether you ask your contacts to donate during the 36-hour window or even organise a fundraiser to help boost your total, you will be Making Every Moment Count for families in Bolton when they need it most.

The Matchers have already pledged an amazing £36,000 which will be unlocked between March 1 and 2. Their support means that every pound you give then becomes two.

Matchers include: Philadelphia Scientific, Northstone, Box Power, Stateside Foods, UK Healthcare, The Provincial Walsh Trust, Lynn Heathcote and an anonymous donor.

The collaboration of Champions, Matchers and the people of Bolton gives the hospice a chance to bridge the funding gap. It helps to ensure no-one in our community faces a life-limiting illness without the compassionate, expert care they deserve.

Lisa Tate, an Advanced Clinical Nurse Practitioner at the hospice stated: “In my years of nursing at Bolton Hospice, I’ve witnessed countless precious moments.

“A patient finally comfortable enough to share stories with their grandchildren. A family finding peace during their last goodbye or simply the gift of a pain-free afternoon.

“These moments are the heart of what we do, made possible by the dedicated care and specialist support that our hospice provides.

“But we can only continue this vital work with community support. This campaign is our chance to come together and ensure that every patient and family who needs our vital services receives the dignity, comfort and expert care they deserve.”

Dr Leigh Vallance, Bolton Hospice CEO said:

“As we enter the new financial year, we face a substantial running cost deficit that threatens our ability to continue providing the vital hospice care Bolton depends on. With rising costs and limited statutory funding, we must act now to ensure families receive the compassionate support they deserve.

We are encouraged by Government's pledge to overhaul palliative care via a modern service framework—this recognition of hospice care's vital role gives us hope for the future. However, we cannot wait for those reforms to take effect. The reality is that hospices across the country are cutting services and closing beds and we need to act now to ensure we can continue providing our vital services for Bolton.

The Making Every Moment Count appeal is an important opportunity to help us continue providing expert end of life care to local families when they need us most. We are deeply grateful to our generous matchers for kickstarting this campaign and to everyone in our wonderful community for standing with us to protect these vital services for Bolton.”

Get in touch

For more information about donating, becoming a Champion, or becoming a Campaign Matcher, please contact:
Kathryn Willett
kathryn.willett@boltonhospice.org
01204 663064

Together, let’s make every moment count — and double the impact.