Customers boycott charity over Caterham hospice closure
By Brian Haran
brian.haran@essnmedia.co.uk
A charity which plans to close a much-loved hospice is being boycotted by furious residents.
Dozens of angry shoppers have been snubbing Marie Curie collection boxes in disgust at the charity's proposed closure of the hospice in Harestone Drive.
In an open letter Richard Holloway, manager of Knights Ivy Mill Garden Centre in Godstone, wrote to the charity, saying: "For many years we have been happy to place collecting tins, and more recently your 'buy some sweets boxes', on our tills and like to think that we have played our part in supporting your incredibly worthwhile charity.
"However, during the last couple of weeks the mere sight of the sweet boxes bearing the Marie Curie logo have ignited such a negative reaction in our customers that we have been forced to withdraw them from view.
"I am not talking about a handful of customers here but probably between 30 and 40.
"In the space of a fortnight Marie Curie Cancer Care has gone from being the best-supported charity in the area to the object of unprecedented public outrage."
Two thirds of the charity donations the centre used to get went to Marie Curie, but now customers are supporting St Catherine's Hospice, Crawley, and The Children's Trust, Tadworth.
Mr Holloway, whose father Denys died from kidney cancer at the hospice in 1994, told the Advertiser: "Many of our customers have either worked at the hospice or had relatives in there.
"There is tremendous anxiety that this is being rushed through thoughtlessly."
Mr Ainsworth commented said: "Marie Curie appears to have completely misjudged the strength of local feeling and it is essential, for the sake of local families and Marie Curie staff, that the future of this vital service is resolved without delay."
Mr Ainsworth has written this week to the charity's chief executive Thomas Hughes-Hallett, asking whether he would attend a proposed public meeting in Caterham to thrash out the closure plans.
Officials from the charity are due to meet with Surrey Primary Care Trust and some local GPs today to discuss the future of local cancer care services.
2 Comments
by negative, croydon
Thursday, January 15 2009, 1:51AM
“In fact, nurses are already leaving, so the place already cannot provide adequate care.”
by Steve Martin, Godstone
Tuesday, January 13 2009, 3:40PM
“Marie Curie's plans to close down their operation in Caterham is going to be devastating to the community. We could understand if it was a financial decision as the old building is obviously expensive to run but they are ending ALL the services run from Harestone too and have made the nurses redundant. A demonstration has been planned for Saturday 17th January 2009 at the hospice in Harestone Valley Drive. Please come and voice your opinion, we need your support.”