SAINSBURY’S Water Lane has recently presented Phyllis Tuckwell with a cheque for £7,398.33, after it chose the local Hospice Care charity as its Charity of the Year in 2016/17.

The money was raised in a variety of ways, including bucket collections over three days in December, which raised over £1,630, and collection tins on the store’s tills.

The store also donated the fees which it receives from local community groups whose members sometimes use its car park when attending meetings nearby, as well as money raised through sales of its 5p carrier bags, both of which helped to boost the overall total.

In addition to this generous sum of money, Sainsbury’s Water Lane also gave scones for Phyllis Tuckwell’s Walk for the Wards event in June, and mulled wine and mince pies for its Light up a Life remembrance service which is held every year in November and this year falls on Monday, November 27.

These donations are hugely important to Phyllis Tuckwell, which provides supportive and end of life care for local patients and families who are living with a terminal illness, such as cancer.

Every day it supports over 250 patients, relatives and carers - in their own homes, in the community, at the hospice in Farnham and at the Beacon Centre in Guildford - through a mix of medical and nursing care, therapies, counselling, social work advice and practical support.

However, as the NHS/Government only covers 20 per cent of its costs, it has to raise over £20,000 a day to be able to do this.

“We would like to thank Sainsbury’s Water Lane for choosing us as their Charity of the Year,” said Vanessa Beech, corporate fundraiser at Phyllis Tuckwell.

“We rely heavily on the local community to help us fund the care which we provide, and it is really heart-warming to see how generous Sainsbury’s staff and customers have been in supporting us.”

Peter Smith, store manager at Sainsbury’s Water Lane, said: “We are very pleased to have been able to support such a vital local charity. Our staff and customers alike all appreciate how important Phyllis Tuckwell is to the community, and I’m delighted to confirm that this is the most we have ever raised for a local charity!”

If anyone would like to find out more about how an employer or business can support local hospice care, visit www.pth.org.uk/corporate-partnerships.