Business lunch pays for Chestnut Tree House running costs

Guests at a “Best of British” sporting luncheon in Brighton responded generously to hospice patron Mike Holland’s appeal for them to support a new Pay for a Day scheme.

Entrepreneur Mike, from Brighton, spoke movingly about losing his 13-year-old son Brian in 1979, years before Chestnut Tree House opened at Poling.

He described the struggle he and his family had coming to terms with Brian’s death, and praised the support Chestnut Tree House gave families now who were going through a similar experience.

Mike told the guests that it cost almost £7,000 a day to provide all the care services that were provided at the hospice. He had committed to pay for a day, that would have been Brian’s birthday, at the end of last month, and encouraged all the guests at the luncheon to raise £6,850 needed to pay for their own day at the hospice.

Chestnut Tree House staff were stunned when 27 guests came forward and pledged to pay for a whole or half day.

The luncheon was organised by Ryan Heal, managing director of Brighton radio station Juice FM, who presented a cheque representing the pledges to Linda Perry, director of children’s services at the hospice.

A grateful Linda said: “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the ‘Best of British’ guests.

“We only receive £225,000 government funding – which equates to just over a month’s care costs at Chestnut Tree House.

“These pledges will go some way to bridging the gap between the government funding and the huge amount we have to raise for the rest of the year just to keep our services running. Thank you from everyone at Chestnut Tree House, this means so much to us.”

As he handed over the pledge cheque, Ryan said: “We know how wonderful the care that Chestnut Tree House provides to families with life-limited children across Sussex and are proud to be associated with such a fantastic local cause and to be able to make such a huge difference.”

Explaining his own commitment to the Pay for a Day scheme, Mike, who visited Chestnut Tree House on Brian’s birthday with his family, said: “‘Chestnut Tree House didn’t exist when Brian was alive. Our family didn’t have access to the care, the facilities and support that this wonderful organisation now provides.

“As a patron, I’ve visited Chestnut Tree House many times and I have seen the happiness and the comfort they bring to children. Their care, whether it be on a family’s first visit, or on the very last day of a child’s life, is quite exceptional.”