At 9am on 19 June, the St Margaret’s teams gathered, full of anticipation, to officially launch our Every Moment Counts appeal. £100,000 in 36 hours, with £50,000 matched funding pledged. It was our first ever fundraising drive of this kind, aiming to help the hospice reach more people, much earlier in their journey with a life-limiting illness. None of us knew what to expect. Would we hit our target? Had we done enough to spread the word?
At our Yeovil site, the Mayor of Yeovil attended to ‘cut the virtual ribbon’ and declare the appeal live! Cheers rang out across both our hospices and through all 31 of our charity shops scattered across Somerset, as the first donations started to roll in.
Our months of planning hadn’t quite prepared us for what happened next. In just 24 minutes the total reached £12,305 – that’s 12% of our goal in just 1% of our time.
Staff clustered around screens, eyes wide with amazement, as donation after donation came in. The messages were deeply moving. People gave in memory of loved ones, because they believed in what St Margaret’s does, or simply out of pure generosity.
The first day of the appeal brought with it some incredible moments. Tommy Banner of The Wurzels shared his support (after all, “Somerset is the spiritual home of The Wurzels!”). Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos paid us a visit, sharing that he wanted to advocate for the appeal because he “knows what a special place in many people’s hearts it has because of the care it has provided to our most loved friends and relatives.”
Out in our 31 charity shops, our retail colleagues did a fantastic job promoting the appeal. Windows were decorated, badges were worn, and special edition tote bags were handed out. Several shops went above and beyond by signing up to be Champions, and by organising special fundraisers for the appeal. In Street, a silent auction generated plenty of buzz. In Minehead, customers tried their luck in a raffle. Martock got creative with a “Guess how many miles Lynn’s Scotland trip is” competition. Williton is hosting a sponsored walk, and Ilminster was prepping to dazzle with a charity fashion show that evening.
Our hospice teams rallied too. Catering fired up the grill for a BBQ, generously made possible thanks to food donated by one of our wonderful suppliers. Over in Fundraising, staff hosted a delicious breakfast and cake sale. On the IPU, one of our nurses went from door to door to rally staff to donate.
We hit the halfway mark just before the seventh hour of the appeal began. The pace and passion were extraordinary. We are so grateful to everyone who supported us – donating, sharing posts, sending kind messages, and encouraging others to do the same. A heartfelt thank you goes to Clinton Rogers, Glastonbury Festival, Somerset County Cricket Club, and the Mayor of Bridgwater for lending their voices to the cause, and to Mademoiselle Desserts and Miles Tea for their generous gifts in kind.
By the time most of us were preparing to leave for the day, the total had already surged past £70,000. The atmosphere was one of awe and excitement – an entire day of support, kindness, and generosity from our community had carried so far.
But it didn’t end there!
In Ilminster, the charity fashion show dazzled supporters. Clothes were bought, donations were made, and an entire evening of community was enjoyed. Others across the county got into our pyjamas and watched the total continue to climb. Many of us remained glued to our screens, even in our curlers and dressing gowns! Then, at 9.53 pm, the moment arrived: we hit our target of £100,000! Cheers erupted. Tears fell. Hugs, and many excitable WhatsApp messages were exchanged. We had done it – you had done it.
But the journey wasn’t over. With 23 hours of the appeal still to go, we were thrilled to secure another £20,000 in matched funding. Thanks to the incredible generosity of a local trust and an individual donor in Somerset, our bonus goal rose to £140,000!
Once again, our community rose to the challenge.
As I write, the total is inching ever closer to £150,000, one and a half times our original goal. We are utterly blown away. Your kindness and belief in our work will make a real and lasting difference.
Every pound raised during this appeal will help us reach more people earlier, so they have the time and space to make every moment count. It will help fund expert care, emotional support, and the small moments that mean so much when time is short.
We are beyond grateful to every single person who donated, cheered us on, shared a post, or told a friend. Thank you for believing in us. Thank you for standing with us.
You’ve done something extraordinary. And there is still four hours to go.