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Walsall Acorns children's hospice to close | Walsall Acorns children's hospice to close |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A children's hospice is set to close due to a lack of funds. | A children's hospice is set to close due to a lack of funds. |
Acorns in Walsall, which looked after 200 children in the last year, could shut at the beginning of October. | Acorns in Walsall, which looked after 200 children in the last year, could shut at the beginning of October. |
Chief executive Toby Porter said he was not hiding the "devastating impact" the closure would have, adding it was "desperately sad" but "the right decision". | Chief executive Toby Porter said he was not hiding the "devastating impact" the closure would have, adding it was "desperately sad" but "the right decision". |
Staff and families have been told and care will be transferred to Acorns sites in Birmingham and Worcester. | Staff and families have been told and care will be transferred to Acorns sites in Birmingham and Worcester. |
The charity cared for about 800 children, plus their families, across the West Midlands last year. | The charity cared for about 800 children, plus their families, across the West Midlands last year. |
A month-long consultation with staff in Walsall has started. About 70 people could lose their jobs. | A month-long consultation with staff in Walsall has started. About 70 people could lose their jobs. |
Mr Porter said it had been "a bad year" for the charity and there was not sufficient cash reserves to support three hospices. | Mr Porter said it had been "a bad year" for the charity and there was not sufficient cash reserves to support three hospices. |
He said the cost of delivering care "was far higher than the total we've managed to raise". | He said the cost of delivering care "was far higher than the total we've managed to raise". |
"We're not hiding the devastating impact it will have," he said, particularly for the 20-30 families who regularly have day sessions at the Walsall centre. | "We're not hiding the devastating impact it will have," he said, particularly for the 20-30 families who regularly have day sessions at the Walsall centre. |
Gemma Harris uses the service for her daughter Remi, who is severely disabled. | |
She said: "If it closes I'd lose my safety net. I've got no family or friends who know how to tube feed her at the moment. | |
"If I lose a place like Acorns I'm completely stuck and it means that me and my partner would never have a rest from Remi's needs. | |
"It makes me sick the fact that everything revolves around money and government funding - us parents with children with disabilities have to fight for everything and everything is based on money anyway for the most vulnerable in society. | |
"And knowing now that this charity is going that is an absolutely vital source for parents like us, it's just sickening." | |
Acorns opened its Walsall hospice in 1999. The charity said it cost £10m a year to run its three sites. | |
Current spending figures are still being audited, but a spokesman said it looked likely that the charity's 2018-19 spending would exceed income by £1.6m. | Current spending figures are still being audited, but a spokesman said it looked likely that the charity's 2018-19 spending would exceed income by £1.6m. |
He added the charity had seen a drop in funds raised by its shops and from wills. | He added the charity had seen a drop in funds raised by its shops and from wills. |
The shortfall would usually be met by charitable reserves but this figure reduced from £3.8m in 2018 to £2.2m at the end of March this year, and the charity trustees concluded they could not risk reserves falling further. | The shortfall would usually be met by charitable reserves but this figure reduced from £3.8m in 2018 to £2.2m at the end of March this year, and the charity trustees concluded they could not risk reserves falling further. |
Tracey Bleakley, chief executive of Hospice UK, said costs were rising in general due to "increasing complexity of care", with hospices "operating in a very tough fundraising environment". | |
"Difficult conditions on the high street are also adversely affecting income from hospice shops," she added. | |
Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. |