Help give Leeds hospices a funding boost for their 40th anniversaries

With this year marking the 40th anniversaries of both of the city's adult hospices, the YEP is inviting the people of Leeds to pay tribute to the much-loved institutions by giving them a funding boost.

To help celebrate the impressive milestone reached by St Gemma’s Hospice in Moortown and Sue Ryder Wheatfields Hospice in Headingley, we are giving our ongoing Half and Half Appeal, in aid of both hospices, a fundraising push.

Believed to be the longest-running newspaper charity campaign in the country, the Half and Half Appeal has so far raised a staggering £2.9m since it began in 1982.

All funds raised are shared equally between the two hospices, where staff have collectively cared for a total of 90,000 of the city’s residents since they opened in 1978.

In 2014 we began ‘Project £3m’ - a target we are edging ever closer towards, with just over £18,000 to go.

Now we are issuing a clarion call to the city’s residents - many of who will know family or friends who have been cared for at the hospices - to join us in celebrating their 40th year.

Over the next few days, we will be revisiting the history of the hospices, looking at their incredible achievements and speaking to long-term members of staff who have seen many of the changes in hospice care over the past 40 years.

We will also be bringing you 40 different ways you can raise money to support our city’s hospices in this, their key landmark year.

As part of our fundraising push we are asking you to spare £4 for the hospices in our ‘Four for 40’ campaign.

Simply visit our online donation page at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/YEPHalfandHalfAppeal to pledge £4 and leave your anniversary tributes to the hospices.

We will then print your messages of support in a future issue of the Yorkshire Evening Post.

Yorkshire Evening Post editor Hannah Thaxter said: “The YEP is very proud of the work of the hospices and know that they have touched the lives of so many of our readers. We are also proud of the amount of money we’ve raised through the Half and Half Appeal.

“Our total currently stands at £2,981,131.21 but we’d love you to help us reach three million in this special anniversary year.

“I’m sure that with an extra push and some renewed effort from us and from our generous readers we can make it.”