EAST Hampshire business people donned their best Christmas jumpers on a cold, dark morning to hand over a cheque for more than £500 to a nursing charity at their weekly breakfast meeting.
The Business Growth Network (BGN) meets every Wednesday morning at Langrish House to network, but on Wednesday, December 14, there was a more festive atmosphere, with crackers, Secret Santa and games.
The group’s charity of the year is The Rosemary Foundation and its manager, Jeremy Mitchell was invited for breakfast, where he was given a cheque for £500 by BGN chairman Wendy Smith.
Jeremy said: “I would like to formally thank everyone at BGN for their awesome backing of The Rosemary Foundation, both in moral support and financially through its fundraising activities.
“This £500 will really make a considerable difference to our ability to consistently deliver service and care that exceeds patient expectations. In that we share a common ethos with Petersfield BGN.”
A “Heads and Tails” game at the meeting raised another £34.50 and members bought nearly £100 of Rosemary Foundation merchandise and Christmas Cards at the Christmas Fair afterwards.
For 20 years, the Rosemary Foundation has provided a ‘Hospice at Home’ service in Petersfield and the surrounding towns and villages for patients in the latter stage of life-limiting conditions.
The local charity provides a nursing and care service to those in need without receiving any government or NHS funding.
It relies solely on the generosity and support of local volunteers and fund raisers to continue providing an invaluable service, at no cost to the patient or their family.