Funeral firm completes five-year £50,000 pledge for beloved Hospice

A Berkshire funeral business has completed an amazing fundraising pledge to donate £50,000 over five years to help support people needing end-of-life care.

E Sargeant & Son Funeral Directors, supported by its sister brands Miles & Daughters Funeral Directors and Richard Lloyd Funeral Services, have now presented their fifth £10,000 cheque to Thames Hospice.

Over the years, team members from the three Funeral Directors have held sponsored events including a climb over the O2 Arena, auctions and lunches, as well as swimming, cycling and hiking challenges on behalf of the Hospice which offers inpatient and community palliative and end-of-life care services to people in East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire.

On top of this fundraising there have also been more than £150,000 of donations from clients who have been supported by the Hospice, or their family and friends who have given to the Hospice in memory of a loved one via the partnership between the Funeral Directors and online tribute and donation portal MuchLoved.

E Sargeant & Son Funeral Directors and the other Berkshire Funeral home brands involved in fundraising, which are all part of the Funeral Partners family of businesses, pledged to donate £10,000 each year from 2018, making a total of £50,000 for the Hospice to continue to provide their outstanding care.

This consistent level of funding is an even more remarkable achievement given a vast number of sponsored activities had to be called off in 2020 due to the Covid-19 lockdowns.

Jane Symmons, Major Gifts Associate Director at Thames Hospice praised the Funeral Partners teams for their continued support.

She said: “Thank you to everyone at E Sargeant & Son Funeral Directors and Funeral Partners for your wonderful support over the past five years.

“The funds raised for our hospice will help us continue to provide compassionate care and support to local people in our community.”

Steve Coyle, Director of Pre-Need at Funeral Partners said: “I’d like to thank everyone who has donated, organised an event or completed a personal challenge to raise money for this amazing cause over the last five years.

“It has been an honour to partner with Thames Hospice and we are proud we have delivered the £50,000 promised which will allow them to continue with their incredible work.

“I know it has been a challenging time for charities over the last two to three years, so I am delighted we have been able to help with our donation pledge, which so many local families have benefited from.”

Going forward, Funeral Partners homes in the Berkshire area will continue to support Thames Hospice initiatives such as their annual Light up a Life service at the end of the year and carry on with fundraising and participation in charity events.