Buckinghamshire benefactor helps Thames Hospice to care for seriously ill patients from Buckinghamshire

Thames Hospice is delighted to announce that serial entrepreneur and local resident Mike Clare has donated £25,000 to support the charity’s Bucks patients and give them those special memories whilst receiving care from Thames Hospice.

The Clare Foundation is a key infrastructure charity in Buckinghamshire and works closely with charities to help them to be more effective. In establishing this fund, The Clare Foundation is pleased to play a role in highlighting the services that Thames Hospice offers to families based in South Bucks. The Foundation will also ensure that the charity has the funds to care for patients in need, whilst also creating family moments of joy, such as precious time spent in the gardens or a family party in the Hospice’s dedicated space, The Sanctuary. This fantastic donation will make good on Thames Hospice’s commitment that it is a happy place, where sad things sometimes happen.

Mike Clare and his wife Julie have supported a number of Thames Hospice special events, and were excited to visit the new Hospice by Bray Lake now that the restrictions of the pandemic have been lifted.

Mike said: “Thames Hospice has been in mine and Julie’s hearts for some time now and it has been a privilege to meet some of the families that have benefitted from their care and support. The pandemic has made us all aware of how important time with family is when we never know how long we have. For that reason, I am proud to establish the Mike Clare Foundation Making Memories Fund that will help families from Buckinghamshire to experience the excellent care of Thames Hospice, and will also help provide moments of joy and celebration. We look forward to hearing about parties in The Sanctuary and evening aperitifs for the patients and their families in the next year. I firmly believe in quality of life and am just so delighted to allow that to continue at the Hospice."

Debbie Raven, Thames Hospice Chief Executive, said: “We always thought that the new Hospice would be a great match for many of the priorities of the Clare Foundation and we are just so delighted that this gift will mean we can care for more people in Buckinghamshire. Thanks to Mike and Julie, we can offer the care, compassion and comfort that every family needs when facing a serious illness.”