Care South’s Community Fund donates £1,000 to Dorset Co Hospital Charity

Dorset County Hospital Charity has been chosen as the latest beneficiary of the Care South Community Fund after being nominated by Sarah Broom, Care South at Home Manager for Somerset and West Dorset.

Sarah put the Dorchester-based hospital forward for a donation in response to the hospital care provided to many clients supported by carers working out of Care South at Home’s West Dorset office in Poundbury. The Care South Community Fund gives back to community groups, services and organisations which directly benefit Care South’s care home residents, care at home clients or staff.

Dorset County Hospital’s new £100 million emergency department and critical care unit is due to be completed in 2027. The hospital’s charity team are looking to raise £2.5 million to fund enhanced facilities in the new building including a critical care paediatric bed facility, critical care patient garden and medical equipment. The Emergency and Critical Care Appeal also looks to fundraise towards staff rest facilities, and a specialist child and adolescent mental health suite in the emergency department.

Simon Bird, CEO of Care South, said: “We are proud to support Dorset County Hospital’s Emergency and Critical Care Appeal with a £1,000 donation from our Community Fund. Many of our Care at Home clients living in West Dorset rely on the hospital’s vital services, as do the wider community, so it’s great to be able to give back to such a worthy cause. We look forward to seeing the impact of these enhanced facilities on patient care and staff wellbeing in the future. Our residents at our nearby residential care home, Maiden Castle House, have shown a keen interest in all the building works!”

Simon handed over the donation with the help of Sarah Broom and Rahul Gohulan, Care South at Home Operations Support Manager. Simon Pearson, Head of Charity & Social Value, at Dorset County Hospital, received the donation before giving Simon Bird, Rahul and Sarah a tour of the facilities.

Simon Pearson, Head of Charity & Social Value, said: “We are so grateful to the team at Care South who have generously supported our Emergency and Critical Care Appeal. This donation will help us to create enhanced facilities that will benefit both patients and staff. The support we receive from local organisations like Care South is vital in enabling us to go above and beyond in delivering the best possible care for our community.”

The team based in Care South at Home’s West Dorset office provides a range of services to older people living in their own homes including personal care, companionship, housekeeping, collecting prescriptions and shopping, and complex care including dementia and end-of-life care.

Care South is a leading provider of high quality residential and home care services across the south of England. The not-for-profit organisation, which is a registered charity, has care homes in Dorset, north Devon, Somerset and West Sussex, and care at home offices covering East and West Dorset, and North East Somerset and South Somerset.

For more information about the care services available, go to www.care-south.co.uk/care-at-home