St David’s Hospice Care has been given £40,000 from Blackwood-based charity Cancercareline, which is closing at the end of the year.
The charity, which has been offering support to cancer patients and their families for more than 30 years, will cease its services on Friday, December 16, because of uncertainty surrounding its future funding from Caerphilly County Borough Council.
Kay Reed, Resource Centre Manager at Cancercareline, told Caerphilly Observer that funds from the charity totalling £40,000 have already been transferred to St David’s Hospice Care with more to come once the charity formally closes.
She said: “We would like to say thank you to everyone who has been involved.
“The charity has been operating for 30 years, and from the people who started it, to the people who kept it going, they have all made a contribution.
“It is just a sad indictment that the situation is so. There was no real choice but to close.”
A joint statement by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and Caerphilly County Borough said: “Staff from Caerphilly County Borough Council and Aneurin Bevan University Health Board met with representatives from Cancercareline on November 17 and the decision taken by the Trustees to close the charity on December 31 was acknowledged.
“In light of the financial and other external factors faced by Cancercareline both the local authority and the health board respect this decision and agree that the trustees had no alternative than to follow this course of action.
“We would like to place on record our thanks to everyone who has supported the charity over such an extended period of time.”
Emma Saysell, Chief Executive of St David’s Hospice Care, said: “We have always hugely respected the work that Cancercareline have done in the area and have had close relations with them for many, many years, working closely with them.
“It is always incredibly sad when an organisation like Cancercareline has to fold and that is very regrettable for everybody. The positive to come out of this is the funds given to us will be put to extremely good use in Caerphilly County Borough and the surrounding area. It will be ploughed into patient care.
“We are hugely grateful to the trustees of Cancercareline for giving us such a donation.”
The lease for the Cancercareline house, on Woodbine Road, Blackwood, where the charity operated from is due to be handed back to the council next year.
While the charity will close, funding has been put aside for its support group, which meets on Tuesdays to continue to meet for a further six months at Pentwynmawr Community Hall in Newbridge.