PALLIATIVE care nurses from Macmillan Caring Locally have raised more than £20,000 towards the development of the charity’s new specialist unit at Christchurch Hospital

Mac Sisters with Blisters, a team of 19 nurses, therapists and support workers from Christchurch-based charity, Macmillan Caring Locally’s Macmillan Unit, and five of their supporters, raised the substantial sum towards funds needed for a new multimillion-pound care unit at Christchurch Hospital.

Determined to help towards raising the significant sum needed, the nurses tackled various feats of physical endurance with the ambitious target of raising £10,000. This included 10 miles at the Great South Run, 10 miles at a collective swim and 10 miles at a biking event around Brockenhurst and the New Forest.

By completing these challenges, alongside other fundraising efforts and patient donations, the nurses managed to double their initial aim to raise more than £20,000.

Christchurch Hospital’s new palliative care unit requires £9 million funding to open. Macmillan Caring Locally has already raised £5 million for the project whilst an ongoing fundraising appeal is currently working towards gaining the remaining £4 million required to build the two-storey facility.

The new unit in Christchurch Hospital will provide specialist palliative care to patients with advanced, progressive, incurable illnesses including cancer, motor neurone disease or heart and lung conditions as well as giving support to families, carers and friends.

Angie Brooks, an MDT Facilitator at the Macmillan Unit, said: “It all started when I decided to sign up to the Great South Run and asked my colleagues if anyone wanted to join. I was speechless when 13 colleagues signed up and another 11 came up with the idea of fundraising through cycling and swimming.

“This money will go towards building the unit which will provide much-needed facilities for patients and their families. We never thought that we would reach our optimistic target of £10,000 but thanks to everyone's generosity and hard work, we’ve doubled that!”