SUPPORTERS have voiced their sadness at the news that a charity offering respite to cancer patients and their families is facing closure.

As reported by the Daily Echo yesterday, the Grove Hotel on Bournemouth’s East Cliff is set to shut with the loss of 34 jobs.

It is run by the charity Macmillan Caring Locally, which said donations had dropped drastically and that it would be difficult to adapt the hotel for social distancing.

The charity – not related to the national cause Macmillan Cancer Support – has said its support for the Macmillan Unit at Christchurch Hospital could be in doubt if the slump continued.

Cllr Lesley Dedman, mayor of Christchurch as well as BCP Council’s cabinet member for adults and health, said: “It’s terribly sad. They did a huge amount of work at the Grove, of which we’re all very supportive.

“Macmillan Caring Locally is very worthwhile which is why it’s so important to try and support this particular local charity.

“I can see the problem they’ve had because Covid has knocked so many people out.”

Former Bournemouth mayor Barry Goldbart said: “I am most concerned about the possibility of the Grove Hotel facing closure due to mounting pressures caused mainly by the Covid-19 virus.

“The work that the magnificent management and staff at this hotel perform is outstanding and with an estimated 50 per cent of our population likely to get cancer at some stage in their lives, it is a vital service that they provide.”

Commenters on the Daily Echo’s Facebook group also voiced their support.

Mandy Bond said the news was “absolutely heartbreaking”.

She said she had visited a friend there and that “the staff are absolutely amazing and always went beyond their job description to help out in any way”.

Jenny Jackson said: “Very sad. The staff and volunteers do a wonderful job.

“I hope someone will step forward and save this worthy cause.”

Bella Valentina said: “So sad. I worked here for over a year and it is a lovely hotel.”

Liz Armstrong wrote: “Terrible news. I heard nothing but great things about this place. Where’s the government support?”

Announcing the proposal to close the hotel, Neal Williams, trust secretary for Macmillan Caring Locally said the decision was “heartbreaking”.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for the charity and we are in a position whereby we now have to look at reducing our costs to ensure that we can sustain our core services going forward,” he said.

“Whilst we are rightly proud of The Grove and the staff that work there, the current situation means that we have to make some very hard decisions about what is affordable and how our expenditure best serves our charitable purposes.”