More than 14,000 donations made in memory of loved ones

Just under £700,000 was donated to more than 450 charities in 2022 thanks to people donating in memory of their loved ones.

The donations were made via a free online memorials feature offered by Southern Co-op’s funeral care homes including four in Buckinghamshire.

Three Buckinghamshire based charities to receive donations were the Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity which had 146 donations totalling £6,529, Rennie Grove Hospice Care which had  61 people donate totalling £2,333, and Thames Valley Air Ambulance which had 57 donations totalling £1,886.

Claire McGinty, Client Experience and Aftercare Manager at Southern Co-op, said: “Each and every one of these donations is thanks to an individual who is grieving for a loved one. This is an incredibly generous thing to do and will clearly make a significant difference to all the causes who have benefitted.

“This is possibly even more touching at the moment when a lot of charities are struggling and need all the support they can get. Thank you to all those who donated.”

The donations were made by people via The Co-operative Funeralcare locations in Aylesbury, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, and Wendover.

Michelle Merrison, Florence Nightingale Hospice Charity’s In Memory Giving Manager, said: “We would like to thank everyone who has donated in memory of someone special in 2022. We are always deeply touched when people choose to remember us as they remember and celebrate the life and memories of a loved one and it is an honour to be able to continue to provide our vital services to more families in their names.

“The total received will have covered the equivalent of a month of Day Hospice sessions, providing specialist and individual support to help our patients maintain independence, improve their quality of life and manage their symptoms.

“These are the words of one of our day hospice patients: “Meeting other patients has made me realise how lonely I was beforehand. I appreciate being able to talk openly about anything without the fear of causing distress to my family and friends. Being able to talk about what might happen as my disease progresses has helped me to be realistic about what I can do on a day-to-day basis, without beating myself up about managing less than I used to.”

“From everyone at Florence Nightingale Hospice charity, we are truly grateful for all your support.”

Over the last three years, a total of £2,082,095 was donated by families across the south of England via the free online tribute service offered by Southern Co-op.

The platform, supplied by MuchLoved, enables donations to any UK registered charity with no subscription fee which means many small charities can receive vital funding thanks to the generosity of your communities choosing to donate in memory of their loved ones.

For more information about online tributes, visit www.funeralcare.co.uk/tributes-and-donations.