FOR many people in Dorset, Lewis-Manning Hospice needs little introduction.

Based at Crichel Mount Road in Lilliput, Poole, the charity offers free nursing care to around 650 people in the county living with cancer and other life-limiting illnesses.

As reported in the Daily Echo, readers have voted it as one of six charities they would like to see win a cash donation from Tesco, which is opening a new store in Kinson, Bournemouth.

Part of the opening sees the supermarket running its Helping Hand competition which, through the Echo, saw more than 1,600 nominations for 118 different organisations.

The six most popular will now be voted on in the next round, with a top prize of £2,500 up for grabs and the other five being given £500 each.

The response to the contest was so big that the shortlist has been extended to six organisations from four.

Between now and the store’s opening in January the Echo is profiling each of the six to help people make their choice.

Lewis-Manning opened a new state-of-the-art facility in 2012, offering 15 en suite bedrooms for respite, rehabilitation and end-of-life care.

While 20 per cent of the hospice’s funding comes from the NHS, the rest has to be raised.

Rachel Lapworth, director of development at Lewis-Manning, pictured inset, said: “£2,500 goes a long way at Lewis-Manning, not only providing care, therapy and support to patients but also having a real and positive impact on children, carers, families and supporters as they live with their illness and adjust to their changed circumstances.

“Last year we had 1,000 more attendances than the year before and the people of Kinson are among those who benefit.

“All our care to patients and 80 per cent of our costs come from the communities we serve.

“As Tesco would say, ‘every little helps’, and in the case of Lewis-Manning, it helps make people’s lives better.”

The hospice said that £2,500 could pay for a 12-week programme in the day hospice (£1,200), 12 lunches (£300), 12 aromatherapy sessions (£300), one Time of Your Life course (£200) and 10 sessions with a palliative care nurse (£500).

Vote for shortlisted organisations

THE six shortlisted organisations are:

  • Homes 4 Heroes, Bournemouth
  • Lewis-Manning Hospice, Poole
  • The Bourne Academy, East Howe
  • Dorset Dog Rescue, Bournemouth
  • Cherry Tree Nursery, Northbourne
  • Homestart, Kinson

    Round two of the voting process will begin when the Wimborne Road store opens, towards the end of January.

When you’ve decided, all you have to do is visit the supermarket and fill out a form, available at the customer service desk, nominating one of the six good causes, and put it in a ballot box.

For details, contact Kinson’s Tesco community champion, Sally Teixeira, tesco.kinson.community@gmail.com